Rewind
by Writing.Ragdoll
Summary: Rivals. Affairs. Amnesia. Obsessions. Death. Secrets. Kakashi and Ryou's life has been nothing but tragic. Despite the mutual distaste that they have for each other- fate always winds up bringing them back together. Will Ryou, the detective, manage to get her life together? Will Kakashi ever come to accept his true feelings? Don't you sometimes wish you could just rewind time?
1. Chapter 1

**_1_**

 _It was that time of year again.  
Time for the SHET.  
And the one and only person that could and was qualified to teach the SHET was Ryou Noa._

Ryou sat in her crammed office room in the Hokage tower. Papers and books completely stacked the walls making the room appeared crammed, the window behind her was wide open allowing the cool morning breeze to refresh the room and to allow some smoke from her cigarette to escape.  
On her wide desk sat a stack of forms that had the words SHET in massive letters printed on them. She had already administered the SHET training process examination to several teams. All Teams 1 to 10 had already gone through the test, some proved to be promising and some didn't. She had taught all except for one team. That one team that Ryou had been avoiding at all costs: Team 7.

 _She let out a deep annoyed puff of smoke as her fingers stopped furiously typing on her laptop.  
'What is another word for 'engorged'?' she thought to herself._

 _What better way to procrastinate than by writing dirty novels?_

A knock from the door brought her out of her sultry thoughts and she snapped the computer shut. She wore her best poker face mask and cleared her throat. "Come in." She said. Attempting the best to look professional.

Iruka stepped into her office with a small smile which was not greeted back by the serious woman. He ignored the strong smell of cigarettes which was impregnated in the walls of the room. After all she couldn't smoke back in her own home. She said nothing expecting him to speak.

"Noa-san, do you have the results for the SHET evaluations?" he asked kindly. Running a nervous hand through his brown hair.  
"Almost." She retorted back in a dull tone putting the short cigarette back in her mouth. Her red lips put together in a straight line.

Iruka raised an eyebrow in reply.

"I've still yet to do Team 7." She breathed.  
"Ah…" the Chunnin simply replied.  
"Can you do it?" She suddenly imposed on him. She batted her dark eyelashes at him.

"M-Me? But Noa-san, you are the only one qualified to do this. No one else can teach it better than you. I mean, you did start the program." Iruka spoke slightly taken back by the girl's boldness his cheeks flushing pink.

 _'Of course he'd say no.'_ She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated and rude matter before letting out an annoyed growl, and putting off her cigarette in a nearby ash tray. Completely ignoring the Chunnin's praise.

"Very well then." She began. "If that is all. I'll have the report before the end of the month."

Iruka nodded his head with a small smile in an attempt to hide his knees from shaking. There was an awkward moment of silence when Ryuo glared at Iruka with her sharp emerald eyes. And he simply stood there- like a blushing fool.

"Is that all?" She said in a stern tone. It wasn't a question.  
"Y-Yes." Iruka mumbled before storming off. And wishing the girl a nice day.

 _Ryou rubbed her temples suddenly feeling extremely annoyed. She flipped through her files until she stumbled upon a picture of Team 7.  
Naruto Uzumaki- Sakura Haruno- Sasuke Uchiha and their sensei Kakashi Hatake. _

_Kakashi, someone who Ryou had had the displeasure of knowing since her childhood…_

 _'The sooner I do this, the sooner I can get over with it.'_

Shaking her head she picked herself up and made way out of the office.

* * *

 _It was early in the morning and Team 7 was waiting for Kakashi-sensei (like always) on a red bridge by their designated training grounds._

 _It was 10:00 am and their sensei was 3 hours late.  
Naruto was sitting on the ground crossed leg scowling about something. Sasuke looked really annoyed and was gazing off into space lost in thought and Sakura was too worried about not being able to properly dry her hair that morning._

"I don't get it! Why is he always late?!" Naruto abruptly stood up shouting pulling on his blond locks in both annoyance and desperation.  
"What the hell is he doing? Why can't he just tell us to get here later?" the hyper active Genin continued on his rant loudly.

As Naruto was shrieking- only a couple of yards away, meanwhile Kakashi Hatake stood solemnly before the KIA stone. He stared at the name which had haunted him for years, Obito Uchiha. His mind drifted to that awful day and he shut his eyes tightly when the waves of flashbacks came flooding back in-  
Suddenly, he felt a presence nearby. He quickly snapped out of his trance and turned to face the woman next to him. She bent down in front of the memorial and placed a massive bouquet of purple Hyacinth flowers on his empty grave.

They hadn't spoken in years. He actually hadn't seen her in years even if they both had always lived in the same village. All these years that he had attempted to find her or run into her, but she would always look the other way or just ignore his existence. Pretending that he didn't exist.

They hadn't seen eye to eye since that fateful day…

 _"Kakashi." She was the first one to acknowledged him. She slightly cocked her head to face him. He felt a chill run up his spine. It had been years since he had heard her utter his name, much less direct a word to him._

In her eyes Kakashi looked the same as he had always looked.  
Tall, stoic, and very dull. The only thing that had changed about him in years was that his hair had gotten longer and grayer.

 _"_ _Ryou." He retorted swallowing the knot that had formed in his throat. Acknowledging her as well.  
_ It had been so long since he had uttered her name. He had almost forgotten what it tasted like in his mouth.

In his eyes Ryou looked the same as she had always looked.  
Miserable, angry and emotionless. The only thing that had changed about her in some years was that she know wore a ruby shade on her lips and grey eye shadow around her emerald colored eyes. Her face was still primped up in a permanent scowl, her hair tossed around in large, thick curls wild and untamable.

Neither dared make eye contact with the other.

Ryou wasn't about to engage in a conversation with him.

"Let's get this over with." She muttered in a dark tone and began to walk away from him and towards his students. Kakashi lingered in the monument for a moment longer before following.

Team 7 soon saw the woman approaching them, Kakashi following slightly behind. The woman walked with her head held high. She strutted in long steps with her eyes always facing forward. This obviously caught the attention of three young Chunnin.

"There you are!" Sakura shouted pointing at them with an accusing finger.  
"Sensei! You can't be late because you are playing hanky panky with your girlfriend!" Naruto shouted as well approaching the couple.  
He was greeted by two serious face and a pair of vicious predator eyes.

 _'_ _It hasn't even been a minute and I already hate them…' Ryou thought growing even more annoyed._

Noticing the tension in the air Sakura punched Naruto in the head making him shut up instantly.

"Naruto-idiot! That's _**obviously**_ _not his girlfriend."_

She flashed the angry woman a nervous smile which was not returned. And Naruto cocked an eyebrows realizing that the woman looked very familiar to him…

"W-Who are you?" asked Sakura growing more and more nervous and curious by the second. _'She was waaay to hot for him. Way out of his league!'_

The woman remained silent, and just like Ryou, Kakashi just looked more and more annoyed by each passing second.

"That's Ryou Noa." Sasuke suddenly spoke. "She is the head of the KSI Unit, and is here to examine us as to the SHET standards." He explained.

"Ryou!" Naruto cried out and sprinted to hug the woman who looked at him with her eyes wide. "It's been so long!"  
She remained stiff and patted his back carefully really not feeling like greeting the boy in this uncomfortable moment. "I almost didn't recognize you!" he exclaimed.

Ryou still didn't smile but she focused her eyes on Sasuke a glint of something in them, care perhaps? After all she had been well acquainted with the young Uchiha. Naruto... Well, that had been a whole other story.

 _'KSI?'_ Sakura held a blank look on her face. Naruto was way to distracted to even care about what the KSI was.

"The KSI is the Konoha Special Investigations: ANBU Unit. This branch specifies in dealing without of the ordinary cases such as murders, kidnappings and hostage situations amongst other things… Ryou, is present here to evaluate you with a special program she designed herself called the SHET. Survival, Hostage, Experience Training…" Kakashi finished explaining.  
"Which I think is a load of _shit_ …" He muttered only loud enough for her to hear. She flashed him a quick glare before facing the students again.

"This is a week long training in which I will evaluate you as a group and train you in order to deal with hostage situations which can be very common in our field of choice. There has been a 80% increase of success when dealing with these situations since the SHET program started three years ago." Ryou finished explaining.

"Hmm…" Naruto seemed thoughtful. "This sounds like a waste of time!" He shouted. "I don't have time to waste-" He was interrupted by a kunai knife pressed tightly against his throat.

He didn't even notice when the woman stepped behind him and held him tightly. She remembered the kid for always being loud and obnoxious.

"Quick, Sakura kill Sasuke or Naruto dies." Immediately Naruto started panicking and waving his arms all around. Ryou made a sharp noise with her mouth that sounded like slicing. She let go of the young blonde and shoved him forward so rough he fell to the dirt.  
Naruto looked back at her from the ground with a shocked expression he didn't remember her being this cold. Why was she acting so different?

"And just like that-you're dead." She looked at him coldly.  
"I'm sure your sensei has gone over this with you, right?" She shot Kakashi a cold glare. Which was returned just the same.

The tension between the two adults made the student's minds race. Something had definitely happened between these two, and it was nasty. The way the two made eye contact as if nothing else existed. There was a heavy air that weighted on the atmosphere, it was more than obvious.

"Now, get up." She barked, not even blinking.  
"You're not a child anymore Naruto." She added narrowing her eyes at the young boy. "Out there you get caught- you die. I won't always be there to save you…" She added remembering the fateful day that they had met.

But the thing was that at 12 years old they were all still children and she couldn't force them to grow up as quickly as she and Kakashi had.

Shaking her head she began walking away her hips swaying ever so slightly side to side. "We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

 _"_ _-There are 10 simple steps in surviving a hostage situation. And we will try to go over them today and you will practice them throughout the entire week and be tested on them at the end of it. Understood?  
I have a lot of work to do back at the office and then I have to be home so I won't be wasting any time here-" As Ryou spoke and paced around Team 7.  
From a good distance Kakashi leaned against the trunk of a tree and carefully watched her as she interacted with his pupils._

Naruto was presently glaring at Sasuke thinking only Kami knows what. Sakura was actually paying attention probably thinking she'd eventually find herself in a hostage situation like this- she was a smart girl. And Sasuke had no expression on his face like always. And Ryou…

In Kakashi's eyes she was still the same as always. Ice stone cold, completely unapproachable and

 **hateful.**

Never sparring anyone a smile and sour like always.  
He was pretending to be reading his erotic novel, when in reality his eyes were glued on the training.

And so the training began… So did a series of events with each step.

Naruto was presently hanging off a rope strapped to a tree upside down. He was waving around like a piñata shouting for help. 

_**"Step #1**_ _: Don't get caught. And if you do. Attempt to escape as soon as possible."_ She threw a knife at the rope and Naruto fell on his head with a large thud.

Ryou shook her head and the training continued.

 _"_ _ **Step #2:**_ _Always keep calm."_ She spoke to a passed out Sakura who was laying on the ground unconscious and to only to Sasuke's head which was oddly sticking from the ground. His expression was one of frustration and anger. This all felt way too familiar… Naruto had been once again tied tightly to another tree.

Ryou sighed feeling a little exasperated. "Since Sakura passed out, this should be it for today. We will continued tomorrow." She said before walking away quickly. She approached Kakashi who was still "reading" his book.  
"You don't have to be here." She glared into his dark eye.  
His one visible did not dare meet hers. "I have to they're my students."

Growing annoyed she placed her hand on his book moving it out of his face so he would look at her. He looked at her angry face.  
"If I tell you, you don't have to be here. It means you shouldn't be here," she spoke between gritted teeth, her fists slowly clenching at her sides.  
His face remained stoic and expressionless.  
He moved his hand back and turned to face her, he glared at her with a familiar coldness.

She glared back at him with wide eyes. She was biting her tongue from saying more than she had too.

"It was only a mere suggestion." She shrugged, trying it to play casual before walking away swiftly.

With an indifferent dismissal of goodbye to the team she was gone.

Sakura woke up and was sitting by a tree rubbing her head. Sasuke stood next to her untying Naruto from the tree.  
"Geez… I wonder what happened between them." Sakura began as she carefully watched her sensei still staring in the direction where Ryou had just disappeared into.  
"Old rivals?" Sasuke said more to himself than to the group.

No, it had been much more than that.

"Ryou-chan isn't usually like that. I don't know what's happening to her! Her eyes were so cold!" Naruto began as he removed the rope from his body.  
"She wasn't like that…" thought Naruto and he couldn't help but wonder what had made the woman so cold.

The group agreed the was quite a particular character and observant Sakura noted that the expression on Kakashi's face was somewhat a sad one as he watched her walk away.

In the meantime Ryou stepped back into her office it was barely 6 in the afternoon and she still had a lot of paperwork to fill out regarding several cases that had long gone cold, and donations to the children's orphanage.  
She was presently trying to reach a tall box in her crammed file closet.  
She kept most of her cold case and top secret cases at her home, but she needed to do some spring cleaning here in the office.

 _'Damnit… it's too high for me…'_ With a sudden abrupt movement she pulled it down and from above it came crashing down a thick vanilla folder. Dust covered the top of it. With an annoying grunt she put down the box she was holding and bent down so pick up the contents of the dusty folder.

When suddenly an old dully colored picture caught her eye.  
She picked it up and held it as if it were on fire. Her eyes softened at the sight of the child in the picture. Two grinning girls stared at the camera smiling broadly. Ryou was one of them and the other was…

Small tear droplets instantly fell from Ryou's face and soon she was sobbing loudly in her tiny crammed closet. Her grip on the picture tightened. There was a reason why this file had been put away, hidden away from her.

"I failed you…" she cried repeatedly. "I'm so sorry!" she wailed violently in her siolation.  
Ryou started remembering that damned case and how it almost ruined her- Despite the memory absences she had suffered in the past. It was just something that made her who she was.

She returned home before it was too late. As soon as she stepped in she was greeted by her father who surprisingly was home and not away on business.

"Long day?" Her father questioned from the kitchen. "He's been asking for you all day," he said holding a dark, curly haired child in his arms.

"Hi," the child said as our protagonist held him in her arms.  
"How was your day?" She said looking into his dark eyes.  
"Good. At daycare we learned about numbers and colors and then we made some bird feeders, and then we put peanut butter on the pine cones…" the child continued rambling.

She looked at the four year old with interest making an effort to pay attention to every detail he said. Regardless of her exhaustion.

Her father prepared their dinner.  
And- yes at the age of 26 Ryou still lived with her father, they both appreciated the company and besides he was usually out on business so she had the house to herself.

"I found a picture of her today," Was all Ryou uttered her expression blank and her eyes dead. She sat on the table with the four year old still on her lap.

Her father stopped smiling and cooking and turned to face her sad expression. He felt his stomach instantly become upset at the thought…

"Ryou, it's been more than ten years-You have to let go. I've let go," He said moving towards her and putting two plates of onigiri on her spot. One for her and one for the toddler.  
"You forgot about her once. I'm sure it won't be hard to do it again," he said referencing to the time that Ryou had most of her memory wiped and forgot about the girl from the picture.  
"Some things you just can't forget…" she said quietly looking at the child on her lap playing with his hand.

"Dad Doesn't it bother you not to know? Aren't you concerned if she's alive? Or dead? Who killed her and how-" She was interrupted.  
"Enough." He snapped in a stern tone setting his own plate down. Startled the child began to cry.  
Having caught himself speaking in such a tone he sighed and continued to speak calmly "Maybe, just maybe we are not supposed to know…" he shook his head.  
Meanwhile Ryou bounced the child in an attempt to calm him down.

Ryou glared at her father in a "Look what you've done look."  
Her father hadn't aged gracefully and appeared to be way older than his age. He had peppered black curly hair which he usually kept in a clean trim. His eyes were dark brown and small. Aging spots were beginning to dot his skin, he was only 55.

"Now… on other subjects." Her father begun.  
"I have an important business trip this coming weekend, so I won't be home for a while. Is that ok with you?"  
"Yes, that's fine." Ryou nodded nonchalantly while she cut the food for the curly haired child in her arms. She was starving, but he came first.

Her father continued rambling about some really wealthy guy from Suna that wanted to buy a lot of expensive jewelry from the Noa family so her dad was totally into this deal. The Noa family's business consisted on crafting chakra jewelry. Their crystals were almost priceless. Legend had it that the founder of the Noa clan, Hiroko Noa, granted the Senju clan a mountain in money. All of these finances were used to inaugurate the Leaf village. Ever since then the Noa clan has been one of the most esteemed clans in not only the village, but the Fire Country.  
The Senju honored them by wearing their jewelry which could literally buy mountains.

The Noa family specialized in crafting these rare gems that would sell for really high prices. Her father in her younger years had been a Jounin, and later in his years of retirement he picked up the family business of carving gorgeous, really expensive jewelry.

After Ryou put the child to sleep in his room and made way to her vanity mirror. That night as she stirred and turned in bed unable to sleep. She imagined the picture was alive and even if the eyes in the picture were closed. She could feel those familiar caramel eyes burning into her back of her head…


	2. Chapter 2

**_2_**

"Which one is the real Sakura?" Ryou barked.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were still being tormented by Noa-sensei and her SHET training. Ryou was presently holding a tied up Sakura clone with her covered mouth in front of her. Two identical tied up clones of the pinkette sat next to the girl. The first clone panicked and attempted to free herself, the second one was extremely still and the third one was crying violently.

 _'_ _They all look the same…'_ Thought Sasuke bitterly as he analyzed each and everyone of the clones before him.

Naruto being lead by his instinct instantly sprinted towards the crying one, only to fall into a trap and become tied up upside down to a tree himself- _AGAIN_.  
Carefully and surely enough Sasuke realized that the Sakura which was frozen in fear was the real one. He sprinted towards the pinkette in an attempt to free her. He swiftly avoided the rope trap and jumped it avoiding the second one as well actually reaching his objective.  
The smallest of smiles formed on the corner of Ryou's lips.

'finally some progress…' she thought feeling relieved.

 _ **"Step #3**_ : _Be observant, always_." She said glaring at Naruto. And with the flick of her wrist a knife cut the rope and Naruto fell on his head for the third or fourth time in the past couple of days.

"Sakura, good job cooperating with me. _That is_ _ **step #4**_ _: Cooperate with your captor._ Now as ninja we shouldn't divulge secret information, and don't. However, if your captor tells you to shut up and lay on the floor. You do it."

The team nodded. From afar Kakashi stood under a trees shade again, still pretending to read his book when he was actually carefully watching the training before him unfold. He had never had closure with Ryou in regards of the interaction that strained their relationship all those years ago…

"Good job team 7. We will meet again tomorrow to continue the training. I'm satisfied with today's progress." She nodded at them and pulled out a cigarette.

Sakura cheered and Naruto rubbed his head still with a frown on his face. "I am so done with this training, believe it!" He then turned to face Sakura. "We should go to Ichikaru's ramen now!"  
His girl teammate cheered backing him up.

 _'Yes, I will finally get to be alone with Sakura-chan'_ Naruto grinned broadly as his face flushed with eagerness.

"Sasuke-kun! You should come with us!" The girl said turning to the boy of her eyes with pink hearts sparkling eyes.

That was the cue for Naruto to face plant on the floor.

"Hn, I have better things to do," Sasuke hissed before starting to walk away.  
Ryou raised an eyebrow curiously as the Uchiha boy walked away. He was never the same after the massacre and she knew better. Suddenly she felt it again, a pulsating headache. She reached for her temple and held on to her throbbing temple. Then in crimson flashes she saw it and image of a younger looking Kakashi displaying the same exact behavior. She flinched and her eyes focused on _him_ for a split second before snapping back to the raven haired boy before her.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Ryou spoke catching everyone's attention and letting out a puff of smoke. She winced, once again seeing the silver hair Jounin's young spitting image. Not that they looked alike, it was something in the way they carried themselves. The arrogance, the loneliness...

Even Kakashi turned around "Come, it will be my treat," she insisted.

At the ramen place the entire team 7 and Noa-sensei sat on the bar ready to order. The seating arrangement was Ryou, Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto. Ryou looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall. It was still early, she wouldn't have to pick up him up from the daycare until later.

 _"Alright! Ryou-chan is treating us! This is great!"_ Naruto exclaimed while slamming his fist on a table. _'I knew deep down inside she was a nice person!'_ he thought grinning from ear to ear.

"I've told you plenty of times, don't call me that." Ryou uttered flashing Naruto a look rolling her green eyes.

He only flashed her a cheesy wide grin in return.  
Naruto remembered Ryou from his younger years. For the first 6 years of his life he was raised in an orphanage with many other children, and very so often he remembered a nice lady with big hair would come visit them often times on weekends. She'd bring candy, and often times on sad days she would bring some children to live at the her old house. Whenever she visited, it was his favorite. He observed the woman who only turned her eyes towards him, "What?" she snapped.  
The glare in them was much harsher than the day they had actually had their first interaction that day she saved him in that fateful day in the forest.

"How's the chubster, eh?" Naruto asked still wide a wide grin looking at the woman who completely ignored his question.

 _'It's so weird she invited herself…'_ thought Sakura who found it quite peculiar that the woman was sitting there amongst them.

"You guys are finally making progress, slowly but surely," The older woman spoke changing the subject while sipping some green tea.

"Ryou-sensei, why did you start the SHET program?" asked Sakura still eyeing the woman carefully.  
"I felt that it was an important aspect that hasn't been properly covered during our ninja training," Was all she said, her eyes dark.  
"It's a good program." Sasuke suddenly spoke.

Ryou turned to face him and smiled a little, she really wanted to converse and catch up with him. The young boy looked a lot healthier than what he had looked several years ago.

She suddenly remembered only a few years ago when he had been staying at her and her father's house- There had always been something about the Uchiha massacre that never smelled right to Ryou. She had been very close to Shisui Uchiha and friendly acquaintances with Itachi and a lot of people had said _"Well it was about time for that nut to bust"_ , but he had a general air of kindness in his eyes and the place smelled weird- besides the death, there was a particular stench in the air that day…

Ryou made a mental note to start investigating the case again.  
She didn't remember much of what had happened that night, even if she had been one of the first ANBU at the scene of the crime that night.

"Oh, hey guys what a surprise." A dull voice spoke. Ryou didn't even bother snapping her head back to greet the person. His students greeted him, some more confused than others, and he sat next to her.

 _'Why is he here? Does he even eat with that masks on?!' t_ hought Ryou glaring at him sitting next to her. _'WHY DID HE EVEN SIT NEXT TO ME?!'_ She began fuming, now she felt like running away.

Kakashi pretended not to notice her glaring. Suddenly, there was a loud awkward silence.

"So- Kakashi-sensei, you and Ryou-sensei seem to go way back. How do you guys know each other?" Sakura piped in an attempt to break the awkward tension that was going on in the restaurant.

Both glanced away from each other uncomfortably.

"We studied at the Shinnobi Academy together." Was all Kakashi uttered still not meeting her eyes.

"That must've been a long time ago!" laughed Naruto. Making a joke about their age.  
"Where you guys in the same team?" asked Sasuke.  
"No." Ryou answered coldly this time. "Thank Kami," She muttered before taking a sip from her hot drink.

The ramen came just in time and everyone was ready to eat. Ryou actually really wanted to actually talk to Sasuke but she figured he wouldn't be very conversational in front of his teammates.

"Hm.. This looks delicious" Kakashi said a hand slowly reaching for his mask. Realizing that he was going to take off his mask Team 7 was about to jump out of their seats from curiosity. They were finally going to see their sensei's face. There it was again, that pulsating headache. She pinched the bridge of her nose and bit down on the inside of her cheek in an attempt to pass the flashing pain. She didn't care enough and was distracted by her pain that she didn't notice the awestruck expressions in his student's faces.

"AHHH!" Ryou suddenly jumped to her feet. She felt something burning on her lap. Kakashi had accidentally elbowed her cup of hot tea spilling onto her lap. "NOOOOO!" The genin's shouted as her body covered the sight of their sensei's mysterious face.  
"YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!" She hissed attempting to wipe the liquid from her lap.  
By the time she had reacted he was already done with his food.  
"Sorry." Was all he said nonchalantly.  
"What the hell is your damn problem Hatake?!"  
"I said I was sorry." He repeated again through clenched teeth.

Ryou felt her neck growing red in anger she began digging through her pockets finding the money to pay for her and Sasuke's meal.

"Hey! What a surprise!" A sudden third voice interrupted.

Kurenai and Asuma suddenly lifted the tarp to the ramen shop to surprise the two Jounin.  
"Ryou, what a surprise…" Kurenai said serisouly through a tight slipped smile.  
"Kurenai," she retorted in the same seriousness. There it was again, another flash and young Kurenai and Asuma smiled up at her. Her teammates. Holding a hand to her temple she stepped around them disregarding if she was perceived as being rude or not.

"You two together, of all people." Asuma chuckled commenting on the peculiar company.

"What? Are you guys on like a date?" Ryou snapped grouchily back making Kurenai flush a bright scarlet red and Asuma smirk. For a moment the Jounin forgot the Genin where still there watching the interaction between the adults with interest.

"I'm leaving," Ryou said slowly before slamming the money on the table next to her uneaten ramen. She said nothing else to her old teammates, or team said and stormed off.

Confused everyone turned to face Kakashi who was already on his feet and had already paid for his ramen. "It was an accident," he said casually before shrugging and walking away in the opposite direction.

"Tsk… those two…" Asuma shook his head.  
"What happened between them?" Asked Sakura curious like always.  
"They've gone through some nasty situations… Just got off with the wrong foot. That's all." Was all he said. Kurenai and Asuma suddenly left and the Genin turned back to their plates no longer feeling hungry- except for Naruto. Who cursed when he realized Ryou wasn't talking about treating him.  
"NOOOOOOOO!" He shouted as he crumbled the massive bill he was indebted to.

In the meantime Kakashi calmly walked through the streets of Konoha attempting to catch a glimpse of the angry ninja somewhere in the streets. The sun was still high up in the sky and the hard workers of Konohagure were beginning to head out for their lunch breaks. His sharp eyes didn't fail him when he saw a wave of people splitting like the Red Sea as she stormed by. He quickened his pace without being obvious and slyly followed her. She turned streets several times until she turned into a dark hallway. He followed after her chasing her footsteps. As soon as he stepped inside he wasn't careful enough and stepped on a paper trap. Immediately the alleyway filled with a massive white cloud of smoke. As soon as the smoke vanished there was another note on the floor.

 **'STAY AWAY.'** It read. She was gone.

He cursed and crumbled the note in his closed fist. He _was_ going to find her. Now he was more than intrigued on where the woman was going and why she wanted him to stay away.

* * *

It took him a while until he finally spotted her. He had tracked her down by summoning his nin-dog pug Pakkun who found her at an ice cream shop out of all the places.

"What's up with the crystal lady boss?" Pakkun asked as he saw the woman paying for her ice-cream and then walk out of the ice-cream shop. Kakashi was about to respond when he saw that her eyes met his from a distance. Despite being on top of a roof she had somehow spotted him. Her face instead of showing anger it turned white with fear. That was… _peculiar._

She looked around swiftly and for some reason could not move, remaining frozen in the spot.

This intrigued him.

"Oi," he said attempting to play it casual by sliding his hands into his pockets suddenly reappearing at close proximity. She pretended not to see or hear him. "Ryou," he said once again, demanding her acknowledgement.  
"You know what?" She snapped turning to glare at him with her eyes turned into slits. "I really am not in a good mood today, I've had the worst headaches all day long," she said once again bringing her hand to her aching head.  
"Good," he retorted flatly. "Maybe it will grind your memory back," he glared with his one visible dark eye.  
She rolled her eyes and held the cup of melting ice cream with her free hand.

"What are you doing here?" he asked eyeing her suspiciously.  
"Eating ice cream, what does it look like?" she said shoving a spoonful of chocolate flavored ice cream into her mouth. The brain freeze did not aid with her terrible headache.

His visible eye only suspiciously narrowed.

Suddenly he saw a wave of dark brown curly hair topple from behind her. "I'm all done momma…"  
A slow, dull, child-like voice suddenly said. He saw how all the blood drained from her face. His eye went wide as he looked down and saw a child of about four reaching for his cup of ice-cream.

The child had a mane of thick, curly hair that reached down just to the nape of his neck and covered part of his forehead. He had light skin. His eyes were like two large empty tunnels. Just like his mother his eyes were permanently narrowed in suspiciousness and had prominent bottom lashes which framed his onyx eyes even more. The child with the bored expression stared at Kakashi's shocked face.

Ryou's eyes flickered between them and she picked up the child in her arms. He brought down his hand with his spoon and kept his dark eyes frozen on Kakashi who remained speechless.

"You have a child…" Was all he managed to say.

Four years in the same village and how was it that he didn't know she had a child? How had the thought never crossed his mind? Ryou often surrounded herself with the local orphans perhaps it was because of that?

"Y-Yes," she said bouncing him in her arm nervously.  
"Hi," Kakashi raised his hand opening his palm closing his one visible eye in a friendly attempt to interact with the child. Suddenly, somehow, he had forgotten everything that had occurred between him and his mother.

The child only glared at him with a bored expression.

"Mom says not to speak to strangers and you mister, are very strange…" He said slightly drawling on his last word as he spoke in his slow voice. With that he shifted his attention towards his chocolate ice cream.

Noting his rudeness Kakashi felt his eye visibly twitch.  
"He takes a lot after his mother," he said cringing as he stated the obvious.

"Oh, he's not my biological son," she said shaking her head. He removed himself from the situation and looked at their faces. O.K. Kakashi wasn't stupid. They looked the exact _**same**_ _._

Matching curly, dark hair, skin tone- hell!  
You could tell just by looking at their identical prominent bottom eyelashes and half-lidded narrowed eyes. There was no way that they were _not_ related. There was no doubt about it.

He looked at the child's dark eyes which were starring back at his.

"I know he's yours," he stated firmly with a rather annoyed look in what was visible of his face.

She scoffed.

"What do **you** know?" she retorted as she grew more and more irked by the passing moment.

"So... Who?" he asked in a more serious tone. _  
_"I… don't know," she shrugged casually. _  
_"I met Ryouta when I was living in the Rain Village of Amegakure, right?" She said placing a kiss on the child's head.

Of course she named the child after herself.

"Yes," the child said innocently. "Mom told me that she was walking in the rain one day and a red eyed raven brought her to me," he said casually.

 _'Red eyed raven…'_ There was only one person that could be associated with such an image. An image of Itachi Uchiha momentarily flashed Kakashi's mind.

"Can I walk you home?" He suddenly asked.  
"That's not necessary," she said lowering the boy to his feet and making way back to her home. He shoved his hands back in his pockets and sighed still following after her regardless of her wishes.

They walked for a while, he trailed several feet behind her. The child kept himself entertained by waving around a thin branch he had found in the ground as if it was a blade.

"Listen," she suddenly came to a halt turning her sharp eyes to him. Her headache becoming more intense by every passing moment. "If you are having any funny ideas, he's not yours," she snapped in a low whisper ensuring the child wouldn't hear. Her other hand clenched into a fist.

"Yeah?" he said cocking an eyebrow up. "Then who's the poor bastards father?" he retorted in a dark tone. His eyes hard.

"Is he an Uchiha?"

She didn't break eye contact. She kept her lime green eyes piercing at his. She held her silence, and so she left him standing alone with an aching chest.

That night Ryou returned home crying again, this time she couldn't hide it from her father who over the years didn't know what to do to console her. Being busy packing tonight he only gave his daughter a hug and resumed his business. Ryou didn't have dinner. She put Ryouta to sleep and retreated to try and get some sleep herself.

* * *

She didn't want to call that night a mistake, but she had a feeling it had been more than that. The scattered memories of her life often played tricks on her. Some memories real, others not, most forgotten.

With a sudden twitch feeling like something was watching her. Ryou sipped her head to the side but only saw darkness.

Not wanting to return to sleep she relied on her creative writing in order to cope and forget.


	3. Chapter 3

**_3_**

Ryou stood in the middle of the training grounds.  
Surrounding her were the three Genin from team 7 all passed out on the floor. She held her eyes tightly shut concentrating on a simple Genjutsu.  
Genjutsu's were never her forte. However she could manage to muster a simple Genin level illusion. It took all of her concentration and effort to stay focused. Genjutsu was complicated for Ryou… due to a mental injury from several years ago- she **could not** allow herself to over do it.

Each one of the members remained tied up in a different imaginary cave. It was an extremely realistic situation. Chains would echo the cave and it felt moist and nasty.

 _"_ _ **Step #5.**_ This is one of the most important ones so please listen to me carefully. _**NO CRYING. Maintain your dignity."**_ Her voice echoed throughout the imaginary dark cave.

Sakura was shaking with fear.  
Naruto look confused and Sasuke was pissed off.

She really wasn't in the mood, her headache was worse than ever today.

Now wearing her ANBU mask and dressed completely in a dark cloak Ryou appeared in the illusion. She terrorized the team for some time.  
The team continued fighting back.  
Suddenly her voice echoed the cavern again in an eerie tone.

 _ **"Step #6:**_ _Attempt to develop a relationship with captor,_ _ **Step #7:**_ _Ask for small favors. Make yourself human. And_ _ **Step #8:**_ _Communicate."_

This trial proceeded for hours. Sitting under a tree from far away Kakashi watched them carefully like always.  
Then it was over. The three Genin stood up with a nasty headache feeling dizzy. Ryou collapsed to her knees panting. Genjutsus really took a toll on her mental health.

"T-That's it for today." The other Genjutsus with the other teams hadn't been this long. This one had been three almost four times as long (then again the other teams were more efficient).

"We will continue tomorrow-"

A quick flash of white suddenly blinded her.

Backed up by half of Obito's face starring at her.

"Gah…" Ryou rubbed her eyes and bounced to her feet. She remained hunched over holding her temples tightly. She felt her brain throbbing as if it were going to explode.

"Ryou-sensei!" Naruto cried out rushing towards the woman.  
"I'm fine." She said coldly, holding a hand out to make everyone back away.

 _She wasn't fine._

The visions kept on invading her brain. There it was again a flash. She saw her smiling mother's face. Another flash it was Rin. Another flash, followed by another and another.

It was too much. She once again collapsed on the floor just in time for Sasuke to catch her and lay her down.  
"Kak-" Sakura barely opened her mouth but her sensei beat her to it. He took the woman from Sasuke's arms and laid her on the ground with a hand motioned his team to step away.

The woman's hands were shaking violently. Her eyes were wide and body was petrified in a straight plank, her pupils had shrunk to dots.

 _And again a violent blank vision. Followed by darkness. Followed by complete emptiness. And again-_

"Ryou," It was Kakashi, the same one holding her right now.

She looked at him and in her eyes saw him through the years. Younger, happy. Sad, hurt, in the sunlight, rain, in life and in death.

She gasped and then held her breath.

"Ryou!" Real life Kakashi spoke.  
"It's happening again-" she coughed still eyes wide.  
"Sakura! Get a medic!" Her sensei quickly turned back to his acquaintance who was still laying down starring at the sky above her.

* * *

 _"Doctor- what happened?"_

 _Flash white. Flash black. Flash white. Flash back._

This happened for some time.

 _Until Ryou woke up at the hospital…._

 _The first thing Ryou saw when she awoke was the doctor._

"Ryou! Ryou! Ah- nurse! She's waking up!-Thank Kami you're awake! How do you feel?" a man with brown eyes and a concerned expression rushed towards her. A stranger.

"Who are you?" She asked with a blank stare.  
"W-What?" the man repeated and his hands rose to his temples in frustration.  
"Oh, no… Not this _**again."**_ He sighed exasperated shaking his head. "I'm your father!"

In that instant the nurse came walking back in alongside several doctors.

"Doc, I'm afraid it's happened again." The man with the brown eyes sighed.  
"Again? Ah- Ryou you had been so good for so many years. I told you not to over do it with the mind games…" The male doctor clicked his tongue.  
"I fell asleep?" She couldn't remember anything from the day before.

Suddenly the doctor turned off the lights in the small room and placed some head x-rays on a light screen. "A couple of years ago when you were in that accident the mental damage was so great that your hippocampus never fully recovered. A hit brought back your long-term memory. However, the strain of maintaining a mental focus for such a long time seems to have damaged it once again. We have done our best to compose it to the best of our ability, your memory might return soon. And from now on I would refrain from using Genjutsus or being under them _at all costs_. Understand?"

"Y-yes." She answered confused as she pieced together what a Genjutsu was.  
"Am I correct? This is how this incident happened? Over use of Genjutsu?" A doctor said as he cleaned his eyeglasses.  
"Yes." Answered a third voice.

She looked up there he was a silver haired stranger that didn't seem so strange at the moment. There was something familiar about him...

* * *

 **16 Years Earlier...**

 **Age: 10**

Kakashi couldn't believe his eyes. How could this have happened?  
He starred at the number on his report. A big, fat, red number #2.  
The number reflected on his dark eyes.  
He didn't want to make this situation obvious. He couldn't turn around and scan the classroom for the imbecil that had beat him to the title of #1 Rookie of the class.

 _'Who could it be…'_ He thought with his eyes closed, both of his eyebrows put together. _'Was talent like that really written in the face?'_  
An image of Asuma crossed his mind, he quickly dismissed it… Gai?  
He fought the urge to shake his head.  
Who, here, was strong enough to _shame_ him in such a way…

"Very well class, before all of you are dismissed for your week long break…" Their sensei began speaking. "I wanted to congratulate the rookie of the year, Ryou if you would be so kind to step forward."

His head instantly snapped to the back of the classroom. His dark eyes looked at the face of every boy in the classroom as he looked at their faces, he noted no expression in any of them- that is until a girl stood up.

 _'A girl? Ryou is a boys name…'_ he thought with a glare.

"Ryou, please step forward." The sensei called with a smile.

The girl had a round face which was framed by a pair of curly haired side bangs. Her hair was pulled up in two high curly pig tails which held up her voluminous dark curls. Her eyes were lime green with prominent dark eye lashes and a beauty mark under her right eye. Like the other girls in the class she wore a kimono. But hers was made of the finest silk and looked to be very expensive. It was composed of dark purple shades as well as black and had two large white camellia flowers on the left side. A pink sash was wrapped around her waist with a small golden string in the middle of it. Under her kimono which reached just below her hips she wore a pair of dark shorts. Her clan symbol was printed on the front of her fancy dress on her hips.

The girl's face was completely red and she tried to hide an embarrassed smile as she stepped forward in front of the classroom all eyes on her.

Kakashi couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't seen her before… If her skills were so much outstanding he was bound to have noticed, no one that was threatening flew under his radar.

"Isn't it great that Ryou-chan got the award?" said Obito, a local class idiot, turning to speak to Rin otherwise known as the class sweetheart.  
"She's very talented. I'm glad she got it." Said Rin with a broad smile and a sincere nod.

 _'What? She's been here the whole time?'_ He couldn't believe it. I mean he never ever gave his attention to anyone else in the classroom, but he should've noticed…

The sensei put his hands on Ryou's shoulders and smiled.  
"Congratulations Rookie of the year. Now, Ryou if you would be so kind to share some motivating words with your classmates, like- for example- what do you want to when your older?"  
"When I'm older I-" She began with a soft gaze.

Sitting right in front of her was Kakashi glaring at her with a pair of dark hateful eyes.  
Ryou didn't have to see under his mask to know he had a massive scowl on his face. She felt her knees weaken under his deathly glare.

"I-I-I…." She looked away avoiding his gaze and instead met eyes with Kurenai who was sitting in the back. Her eyes were wide and she nodded her head in encouragement.

"I want to make a difference in the world. I want to help people and use what I have for good." She said with a bright smile.  
"Hokage perhaps?" The sensei said.  
A scoff escaped Ryou's lips, "No. Something higher, better." She said nodding at her teacher suddenly forgetting her stage fright.  
The teacher laughed and gave her a pat on the shoulder's before dismissing the class.

"Alright everyone, enjoy your week break you've earned it."

Before leaving the classroom Ryou gave one last look at her silver haired classmate and flashed him an apologetic smile, one which was not returned...  
She swallowed nervously and finally left.

"Sensei. There must be a mistake." Kakashi said approaching his teacher.

"I know you're upset Kakashi and you are a brilliant student. One of the most brilliant I've ever had. But the numbers came in and Ryou was simply higher than you."  
"I have perfect scores in everything. It's impossible that she could beat me-"  
The teacher interrupted him, "Look both of you were tied and we brought it up for discussion. Ryou interacts and helps out the other rookies, maybe if you were to interact more with your classmates… You could tie up with her?" the teacher suggested.

Useless, absolutely useless. Being nice to the other kids in class wasn't going to get Kakashi anywhere in life. His only focus was himself and that's the way that it would stay.  
Once outside he saw all the other children with their parents.

 _Did he miss his father? No._

 _Did he miss the man that stained his name and took the coward way out by committing suicide? No._

As far as Kakashi knew he had always been by himself and he would always be by himself. And he wanted it to stay that way.  
He saw the girl approach her mother who had come to pick her up from school.

" _Okaasan_ look!" She said waving the paper in the air.  
Her mother, who held a graceful air of elegance, looked at the paper and smiled brightly at the girl saying something before taking her hand and walking away.  
Several other parents and friends of the girls stood around and congratulated the number one rookie.

All his life the only thing that Kakashi had done was push himself. Push himself to the maximum. His only purpose as a Shinobi was to restore the honor and respect that his father had shamefully stained. To build his own identity he had being known as "the White Fang's Son," he hated people feeling sorry for him and pitying him for his heritage and his absolute loneliness. And now some rich prissy girl was stealing part of his mission…

"Hey! Kakashi-san, we are having a party at my house today? You are invited if you wish to come." She said in her most confident voice stretching out her arm to offer him a colorful paper with her clan sign printed on it.

He glared at the invitation in disgust before narrowing his eyes scowling at her.

"I don't need your sympathy," he sneered.

Frowning a little the girl put her hand down.

"It's not sympathy…" she began quietly. "I always invite you and you always say no. I was thinking it would be nice to have you be there with us for once," She attempt to give him a small smile again and once again raised up her hand with the lavender and gold letter address.  
"Well you should learn to take a hint." He spat before storming away. Leaving the girl to stand there disappointed.

As Kakashi walked away he swore on his grave that he would surpass her. No matter what.

* * *

If you're interested here are 2 drawings:

10 Year Old Ryou: post/165344248709/naruto-oc-age-10

Ryouta from the last chapter: post/165344254429


	4. Chapter 4

**4  
Age: 10**

Kakashi was no fool.

When the girl showed him her address he had memorized it into the complex depths of his genius brain.

He had to stalk his prey.

He had to know who he was dealing with and what type of strengths she possessed. So the first thing he did after plotting for the length of a sleeplessnight was to perch himself outside the victim's window.  
He had absolutely nothing better to do for the entire weekend vacation (bedside's training that is), and that is exactly what he would do. He would dedicate his vacation to enhancing his stalking skills.

The first day of watching he learned that Ryou, like most children, had two parents.  
Mr. Noa also known as Aru is a well-known jewelry maker who specializes in crystal chakra gems. Mrs. Noa, Natsume, who was an elegant socialite, had kind eyes and greeted everyone that came to the house nicely. Then there was Miharu. She was Ryou's older sister who was a Chunnin and four years older. There was something peculiar about this girl, like the way she had to do everything 3 times. She would lock and unlock the front door, three times each time. And wipe her feet three times on the front rug even if they were already clean. Some peculiar type of OCD he figured...

Nothing peculiar happened the first day... They were the picture perfect ordinary family.

Ryou ate well, trained hard, helped around the house and read most of the day in her room. She would also write from what he could tell.

It was tempting to break in, but too risky…

If caught there would be sure consequences.  
Two more days passed by and the third day the sister returned home from lunch like every other day. He wasn't surprised they hadn't noticed him yet, his skills were just _that_ good.

Meanwhile at the lunch table inside the house the family ate the delicious fish the father had cooked. Ryou ate quietly barely touching her food.  
Her father was whining around some business deal gone bad. The mother listened carefully and the teenager rolled her eyes.

"Are we all just going to ignore the fact that for the last three days there's been a boy living on the tree outside. Stalking us?" She said flatly stuffing her mouth with fish. Her honey eyes plastered on the younger sister.

"A boy?" This caught Aru's attention and he clenched his chopsticks tightly making them crack.  
"Don't worry dad, I know him." Ryou shook her head embarassed.

Of course she'd noticed the boy creeping and glaring at her from the tree top. Even in her room she could feel his icy glare which would make her heart stop and a chill run up her spine.

"A suitor?" Her mother asked with a dreamy smile clapping her hands together. It almost seems like hearts were glowing in her eyes.  
"Mom that's terrifying…" The older sister said with disgust.  
"No. He's just upset because he's rookie number 2 in the class now,"

Ryou said still upset playing with a broccoli on her plate.  
"We should invite him down for lunch, poor _homie_ must be hungry," Aru said peeking over looking at the tree. He emphasized on the word _"homie"_ , in an attempt to be cool with whatever lingo today's teens were speaking in.

Ryou shook her head, and excused herself from the table.  
She returned to her room and pretended to water the white Chrysanthemum flowers outside of her window balcony.  
Through her lashes she eyed the boy who thought was well hidden in the tree _almost_ \- felt sorry for him, and she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him to make him be the way he was. She debated throwing a shoe at him and shouting "Don't you have anything better to do?" or should she invite him in?

Not sure of what to do Ryou ignored him and returned to her room to do one of her guilty pleasure write: She wrote about adventures, and a fantasy world were people fought for a greater justice, with mythical creatures and a lot of terrible dry humor.

Yes, one day her ambition was to be at an even higher rank than the Hokage- she still didn't know what that was, but she would figure it out. Another one of her future ambitions was to become a published writer, and maybe lead her own squad in the future?

The afternoon passed by quickly and when Natsume called Ryou down for dinner, she was surprised to see the young silver haired ninja was still perched outside of her window.

Nevertheless, she rushed downstairs and helped her mother set the table for dinner now. Aru was back and sitting at the head of the table. The only one missing was Miharu. It was odd for her OCD sister to be late, and Ryou wasn't the only one who had a bad feeling about it.

"I wonder what's taking Miharu so long…" Her mother said concerned looking at a large clock on the wall.

Soon the older sister walked into the house.

"Sorry I'm late. Sorry, sorry." She apologized three times.

Ryou's mouth went dry and all the blood drained from her face when the sister finally stepped into the kitchen.  
Over her shoulder was Kakashi completely tied up in a knotted rope. She placed him in the chair next to her in front of Ryou who looked horrified.

"Oh, I didn't know we would be having a guest tonight." Her father smiled at Kakashi with a teasing grin.  
"It's nice of you too join us you must be starving," The mother said casually serving a handful of kaiseki ryori on his place.  
Ryou looked absolutely mortified. Here was the boy who absolutely hated her sitting in her dinning table glaring daggers at her. Tied up.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was horrified _'I'm surrounded by this family of psychos. How the hell can they handle this so naturally?!'_  
He felt caught and humiliated, and just wanted to get out of here. Oh, and for Ryou to take her massive cat like green eyes off him.

Miharu only sparred a side glance at the boy as she began eating her dinner.

"How are you supposed to eat with that mask on?" she asked in an apathetic tone, glaring.  
"How am I supposed to eat tied up?" Kakashi retorted in the same tone.

"Boys got a point." Aru nodded as he swallowed his food.

With a flick of her wrist Miharu cut the ropes that were holding the boy back, and before her mother finished saying "No weapons on the dinner table!"  
Kakashi had sprinted out of the house and had hopped out through the closest window. He ran as fast as he could, with a ragged breath and his heart pounding on his chest he successfully escaped.

 _'J-Just what type of person was Ryou Noa..?'_ He wondered turning his eyes towards her massive home which became smaller and smaller in the distance.

Back at the Noa manor, Miharu still continued eating her food like nothing had happened.  
Aru raised his eyebrows, "Must have been in a rush," was all he said. Natsume looked concerned and in a worried voice she said to herself that she should've packed his food to go.

Ryou was speechless, _'what had just happened?'_

"What a weirdo." Miharu said simply shaking her head.


	5. Chapter 5

**5**  
 **Age: 10**

Things at school were never the same after the events that transpired.  
The first day of school after vacation, Ryou walked in chatting away with her friends.  
She really didn't like to draw attention to herself so she would usually sit in the back of the classroom and participate where no one could look at her.  
This one morning as soon as she got to school, she took a seat in the back next to a boy named Ebisu and an outcast girl who had recently transferred to school named Anko.  
She had opened her book ready to take notes when she felt a chill run down her spine. The chill grew down and was unpleasant, it was more like needles pricking down her back slowly.  
She cautiously turned her head and her eyes went wide when she saw Kakashi towering right behind her.  
Ebisu adjusted his dark glasses and looked at him with a frown as well.

"Beat it." He sneered coldly at Ebisu with a menacing glare.  
Without thinking it twice, the poor boy stood up and moved as quickly as he could.

Ryou swallowed the lump that had been forming in her throat, and hesitated before turning to face the boy. He was already looking at her, his dark eyes burning with hatred.  
She couldn't even fake a smile, instead only faced forward again and decided her best to ignore him. She held her shaky hands together, in an attempt to make her nervousness more conspicuous.

 _'Just what could he want from me?'_ she thought to herself as she arched her back sitting taller.

Class began, it wouldn't be long until graduation so most of the students were beginning to slack off. That left most of the participation to the top students in the class. Ryou noticed that with every question that the teacher asked whenever she would raise up her hand to answer so would Kakashi.  
Eventually it got to the point that both Kakashi and Ryou were standing up both hands held up high, both trying to push the other one down. It soon started to catch the attention of the other students, some girls giggled thinking it was cute and some other students were uncomfortable with the growing tension growing in the room.

"Anyone else? Other than Ryou or Kakashi?" The teacher asked with an annoyed sigh and decided to start picking on Obito Uchiha.

Realizing that the class was growing bored, the teacher decided on a different assignment.

"Alright, class. Now, how about we practice your clones and transformation jutsus. As a review before your final examination, which is just in a few weeks."

Obito began complaining so the sensei made him go first. He miserably failed to make two illusions of himself appear, and proceed to turn himself into a cheap copy of their sensei with a stupid face with big lips on. The sensei immediately started scolding him, and the rest of the class didn't even bother in hiding their snickering fits. Gai followed and then Shizune along with he other students. Finally it was Kakashi's turn. He stood on the floor all the students eager to see what he had in hand, and then in a puff of smoke 4 identical clones of their teacher, including a transformed Kakashi, stood with a smug look in their faces. He had done both jutsus at the same time. Some of the kids wowed and awed at his skills and many of his fan girls clapped and cheered.  
When he was done he glared at Ryou with a challenging glare.  
Ryou who had been wearing a frown the entire time raised her head and walked past him with her nose high.  
She stood her ground for a long time focusing a large amount of chakra.

"What's taking her so long?" Some of the children would whisper.  
Kakashi crossed his arms and didn't take his eyes off her.  
"Ryou?" Her sensei asked tapping on his notebook raising a concerning eyebrow.

With a small grunt. A massive puff of smoke filled half of the room. Where about 15 Kakashi clones stood, herself transformed amongst them. She attempted to compose herself and hide her harsh breaths and her racing heart. She was dressed exactly like him in his sleeveless black shirt with his dark mask and his silver hair standing up even slightly covering part of his face.  
Her eyes focused on him with a smug deathly glare.

He was absolutely speechless.

She even raised an eyebrow in a challenging matter. Seeing his reflection challenging him was daunting.  
Everyone in the room was cheering, even the sensei took the time to give Ryou the praise she deserved and made an example out of her for al kids to follow her.

"You'll own up to great things, I just know it." The sensei said.  
Some of her friends approached her and hugged her as she turned back. Class had been dismissed.

Once again humiliated, he stormed out of the room. Not that anyone cared to notice. He stormed to his small apartment where he lived. It was nothing compared to Ryou's millionaire mansion. In a fit of rage he scrambled for yesterday's newspaper which had a decent sized picture of Ryou and a bit of her biography congratulating her as rookie of his generation. He should be in that picture. Not her.  
He had worked himself to the bone in an attempt to redeem his, and what was left of his family's name. Everyday he put all the effort he could to be the best. To make people forget. To stop people from whispering "That's the White Fang's son," whenever they saw him on the streets. He cut out the picture of the smiling girl which could've been the picture of a child model in a fashion catalog.

He took the picture and pinned it on his wall where he would be able to see it every single day.

He hated Ryou Noa. He hated her with a burning passion.  
It wasn't fair that this uppity rich girl, who had everything. Friends. A loving family. Money. Absolutely everything. Could take away his glory. His one chance for honor.

"But then again… life isn't fair…" He said to himself with a scowl on his face. He approached the picture in his wall. He approached it real close and glared into the lemon green eyes of the happy girl. _Life was not fair._

Days went on to become weeks, and weeks into months.  
Time passed by. The class had already graduated and received their official hitai-ate, also known as shinnobi forehead protectors, and the Genin had been put into 3 man cells. Kakashi had been grouped with Rin and Obito under the guidance of Minato Namizake, Konoha's Yellow Flash. Ryou had been put under the guidance of one of the Hokage's sons and Asuma's older brothers, Saisho Sarutobi, alongside with Asuma himself and her friend Kurenai Yuhi.

It wasn't that Ryou didn't like being in a team with Asuma and them, but-…

She stared at her teammates before her. Saisho-sensei who strongly resembled Asuma was tossing his younger brother's hair and teasing him about liking Kurenai who stood at the side with a flustered face….- sometimes she just felt a little left out.  
Often times when being with her team, Ryou felt as if it was Asuma's family affair. Her sensei didn't particularly show favoritism, but it seemed like his attention was mostly on his younger sibling and the siblings love interest.

She just felt a little left out.

That day she returned home feeling both irked and annoyed. She was completely drained due to a hard day of training, and the annoyance wasn't helping. Ryou didn't like her team at all, and the connection that her entire team seemed to share, except for her, really displeased her.  
Things at home weren't looking that great either.  
In an attempt to avoid it all, she stopped at a tea shop to have a drink in an attempt to disconnect from everything.

She sat in the teashop by herself. Her tired eyes and 100% of her attention was engrossed in a small notebook in which she wrote her simple anecdotes and potential stories. The smell of tea brewing put her at ease and aided with the flow of words to her writing. She was presently waiting for her Jasmine tea to brew. A long sigh escaped her lips. Suddenly she felt something was off. There was a dark vibe lurking by- Her eyes shot wide open and she saw Kakashi sitting in a table across the room. He didn't have any tea on his table and was just looking at her. He wore a large stretched malicious smirk under his mask. Her heart stopped when they made eye contact, and holding her breath she turned her eyes down again in an attempt to ignore the silver haired ninja.  
He didn't look away, he could see that the girl was clearly upset and he was enjoying seeing her in this state of anguish.

 _And now she had to deal with him too…_

A couple of moments passed and still feeling his eyes burning into her. She rapidly stood up and walked away from the scene to the counter and asked to have her tea to go. She got it in a small plastic cup and quickly stepped out of the teashop. She turned around seeing if Kakashi was still in the shop, realizing he was gone. She turned forward only to bump into something or someone. Some of the hot tea spilled on her clothes and she hissed at the burning sensation in her abdomen.  
She looked up and saw Kakashi standing before her with his dull eyes looking at her with a bored expression.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" He said in a menacing tone still not blinking.  
"I'm really not in the mood today Hatake." Ryou hissed back. Ryou was feeling her anger boiling in the pits of her stomach.

She had grown used to him getting on her nerves like this every single time she ran into him, but today- he had chosen a bad day to mess with her.

His hand stretched out for her plastic cup of tea. She looked at him with challenging eyes he certainly wouldn't dare...  
Her lips were ready to mouth "Don't you dare-" She didn't get to say anything. Not breaking eye contact he slapped the burning hot tea out of her hands into the ground splashing her face in the process.  
He looked at her with cold eyes, the girl couldn't take it anymore.  
She stood there awestruck and felt the pools of tears beginning to boil in her eyes.  
Kakashi saw himself reflected in the teary green eyes of the girl before him, he knew he would never forget this day. The day he made Ryou Noa cry. Tears began spilling out of her face. The girl choose to run past him bumping shoulders in the way and she left. The satisfied smirk still plastered on his face.

Pleased with himself, something called his attention and made him turn around. And there sitting on a table he saw a small little black book. The same black book Ryou had been writing in.

 _Could his day get any better?_

* * *

As it had been previously mentioned things at home weren't going that great. It wasn't her parents it was her sister that was the issue. At 14 years of age, Miharu's teen years were proving to be harder to deal with than expected.  
On the bright side dad's business was going well…

The family had all gathered at the dinner table except for Miharu who for reasons deemed as ridiculous had excused herself from the dinner table.

"Hormones." Her dad shook his head with a tired groan.  
"She'll bounce back to normal soon- I hope." Natsume said with a small smile. "Anyhow, how's work?" She asked her husband.  
"Not good either… Business is good, but I'm afraid there's been villainous characters lurking wanting to get their hands on me. I think we should heighten security..." He said in a dark tone.

Noting the seriousness in his eyes his face changed the subject and turned to Ryou who was quietly sitting between them just shifting eyes between her parents.

"How was your day Ryou?" Her mother asked her sweetly. Changing the subject.  
"Not good… I'm still not used to my team, and I had to deal with that Kakashi again." She said playing with her food, it seemed like that was all she did in recent days. Pretend to eat and return to her room.  
"The gray haired kid?" Her dad asked.  
"Maybe he has a crush on you." The mom said in an attempt to lighten up the mood.  
"No." Her father suddenly snap. Tension filling the room, "Natsume, there is a massive difference between abuse and infatuation. We do not teach our daughters that abuse is the same as infatuation, remember?"  
"Yes, but what if he's only trying to get her attention Aru?"

The bickering, eventually turned into a full scale argument and without a second thought Ryou snuck out into her sisters room.  
She knocked on the door and there was no answer. Still the 10 year old girl walked in.

"Miharu, what's wrong?" She asked in a weak voice.

Both of her parent's loud voices could be heard arguing from the kitchen downstairs.

"I didn't say you could come in Meiwaku."  
Ryou frowned "I don't like it when you call me that…"

Her elder sister didn't seem to hear.

With straight hair and warm brown eyes it was hard to see the resemblance between the two siblings.  
Still the young girl stood at the entrance of her sister's pink room.

"I'm just so, so, so done with everything. With work, still living at home with mom and dad. I just want to be free and have adventures, you know? I feel like I have a higher purpose… That I can achieve things, make a difference in the world, but I'm stuck here…" She trailed off.

"If you want to make that much of a difference, why don't you become Hokage then?" the younger sibling asked with a small smile. "That's a perfectly good waste of my time. Both you and I know we have more potential than that," she hissed coldly.  
"Ryou, we should run away together! Both of us. Away from mom, dad, everyone." Miharu ran up to her sister and put a hand in her shoulder another on her cheek, she stroked her sisters curly mane with a smile and shiny eyes.  
"It would be fun. Don't you think?"

The younger sister pouted, "Can my friends come too?"

Miharu pulled her arms away from her sister.

She didn't understand. No one understood her…

"Just go to sleep Ryou, it's way past your bed time..."  
"But Ane-"  
"Out." And with that Ryou was kicked out of the room "Out. Out," she said a total of three times... The arguing downstairs had ceased. Stepping down she saw both of her parents embracing each other with a worried look.  
Ryou noted there was now a pair of papers on the kitchen table.  
She hid behind the wall and crept her head out. Both of her parents were too engrossed in each other to see her peeking focusing all of her chakra on her eyes.  
her sight increased and she was able to read the notes on the table. They appeared to be made with a cut out of letter and where threats to her father. _'No wonder, he'd been so stressed lately…'_ Unsure of how to proceed.  
Ryou peeked out and rushed to hug her mother from behind. Pressing her face against her back.

"I'm sorry about the arguing Ryou. Mom and dad are under some pressure right now"  
"I know." She repeated still hugging her tightly.  
"Look," her mother said turning to face her, "All of this will be over soon, and then just the four of us go take a vacation. That sounds nice, right?"  
The young girl nodded. Her mother kissed her forehead and sent her off to bed.

That night Ryou buried herself in her covers and fell into a deep slumber. She dreamt happy dreams, dreams that would become scarce in the future.

Meanwhile on the other side of town Kakashi sat on his bed with the small black notebook in which Ryou had been writing into earlier. He couldn't wait to savor this moment. To open the black book and indulge in the secrets of Ryou Noa.

As soon as he opened the first page he realized that it was blank. And so was the second, and the third, and the one after. The entire book was blank. But how?  
He had clearly seen her writing and filling the pages of the blank book. He put the book against the light and saw that the pages still remained blank.  
 _'Just what the…' He thought to himself in disbelief._

 _Kakashi didn't sleep that night while attempting to unravel the secrets of the little black book._

The following morning Ryou was making her way down to the market. Her mother had sent her to run some errands, which is what she was currently preoccupied with. For a brief moment she stumbled by a dango shop and rested her elbows on the counter as she asked for an order to go.  
It was suddenly that she felt a familiar presence brooding over her. She cocked her head to the side and saw the angry familiar gray haired ninja standing next to her.  
She noted that there were dark circles under his eyes and he looked like he hadn't slept. He slammed her book on the counter and glared at her.

"You forgot this yesterday," he growled out.

Ryou couldn't help but smirk, so he stayed up all night trying to figure out how read it.

"How kind of you to return it," she drawled out sarcastically.  
She picked up the notebook with her hand and placed it on the counter. She placed an index finger on the cover and spun it three times.  
"It's a special journal. Needs to be infused with some chakra in order to reveal its secrets. If you were smart enough you would have figure it out," she stuck out her tongue.  
"Yeah? And if you were smart enough you wouldn't have told me how to read it!"

And in a split of a second he had swiped the book from the girl's hands and was now sprinting down Konoha's crowded street.

"HEY!" The girl's voice cracked as panic surged through her body. She instantly dropped her groceries and abandoned her order of dango as she sprinted after Kakashi.  
As soon as she reached the busy streets she noticed that she had lost him in the crowd. _'No. This can't be happening. This can't be happening.'_ She ran her hands through her curly wild hair.  
She had lost him with her journal. Ryou felt her heart began jump to her throat, her stomach to churn with anxiety. She had to find him.  
In a surge of adrenaline she closed her eyes and attempted to focus as much chakra as she could into her nostrils.

Her mother had been a tracker ninja, for Kami's sake she had to learn how to use her senses!

Suddenly she saw him, well his smell, it left a very particular trail in the crowd.

' _Seems like I lost her…'_ Kakashi thought to himself looking over his shoulder. He found himself lost in a park and finally caught a break and focused on reading the damn little black book.

He opened the first page and began reading.

"AHA!" There was a sudden shrill. "GIVE ME BACK MY JOURNAL!" The girl shrieked loudly.

A smile grew on Kakashi's face. Even if the girl couldn't see it because of his mask, she had no doubt it was there.  
She ran towards him and attempted to tackle him. He only used an arm to keep her at an arms length, with his other arm he held the book high above his head as he read it out loud to her.  
He was evilly cackling at the embarrassing stories he was reading.  
"Stop! Give it to me!" The girl cried out.

The boy only turned still laughing and looked at the girl's scarlet face. He continued flipping the pages.

"I have a crush."  
He read out loud, becoming interested in the subject.  
"No! No! No!"

The girl continued now actually hitting the boy who still wouldn't let go off her journal, pleading him to stop.

"He's super cute, and super smart and his name is…"

Kakashi's eyes became wide. Ryou was absolutely embarrassed. _"Obito?"_ He read confused and turned to look at the girl who had gone quiet, her eyes were completely wide and her mouth had gone dry. _'But Obito isn't smart…'_ He thought sourly.  
He flipped the page and the first sentence made freeze.

"Just kidding." He read slowly. "Even if he doesn't seem to know I exist and looks very lonely. It's Kakashi. I want to become stronger so I can impress him one day and that way he'll finally start noticing me…" He slowly lowered his hand with the journal and turned to look at the girl, his eyes wide in disbelief. The entry was old, from years ago. It was probably the first one she had written.  
Ryou felt her face burning she looked away from the boy feeling mortified, her heart was hammering in her chest and her knees felt week.

"Ryou…" He said looking at her carefully, unsure of what to say. In a quick flash she swiped the book from his hands and used it to hit the book. "Don't flatter yourself Hatake," She scoffed in a cheap attempt to keep her cool.  
"T-That was from years ago, and it was before I realized how much of a pompous jerk you are!" She hit him with the book once again before storming off. Kakashi didn't even flinch he just stared at the girl as she walked away. Completely unsure of what had just happened or what to think/feel in regards of the situation.

Ryou had returned for her forgotten groceries and then back home. At this point in the day she only wanted to disappear. This was probably the worst thing that had ever happened to her.

Unknowingly, two weeks later after that, the worst thing that would happen to her actually did- her mother would be found dead in her sisters room, facedown bleeding from one clean slice through the neck. Her sister would go missing. A trail of blood followed out the 2nd floor window into the woods, near a river where they found one of her sisters legs completely bruised up and laying there, some animal had even gnawed on it by the time it was found.  
The official Uchiha police report concluded that that Natsume had heard an intruder enter the house, being a civilian she ran for her daughter's help. The daughter had already been apprehended and was held hostage. Natsume was killed or her daughter would die, which is why there were no signs of struggle. Miharu had been injured and was taken into the woods away from the village where she put a struggle by description of disturbed terrain and more blood loss. And near the river bend there was more blood and one of Miharu's legs which was simply lying near the river amongst a pool of blood. Due to massive blood loss Miharu Noa was declared K.I.A and dead as to the knowledge of the police force.

Ryou was never able to see her mother's body.

The murder had happened during plain daylight one Thursday noon. Ryou had been training with her team and wasn't making much progress in fighting her sensei when two Uchiha officers showed up and very seriously requested for her to follow them. Confused the girl was lead to the compound. Where she was told the news…


	6. Chapter 6

**6**  
 **Age: 11**

Ryou was never the same after that incident.

 _Then again who would be?_

Miharu's window and door had been sealed off with concrete so no one could have access to the room.

Aru Noa, Ryou's dad, would panic and have night terrors which would keep him sleepless during most nights. The death of a beloved is enough to psychological scar someone. However, the doubt and the uncertainty of who had killed his wife and daughter and why, or what just not knowing what had happened to his eldest daughter was tormenting him every night.

His business and quality of his work and craftsmanship had gone bad, and so had his relationship and abuse of alcohol…  
 **  
**Our protagonist, now a year later was a completely different person. Guest were no longer allowed at the Noa manor. Security had increased, and her eyes as well as her heart had hardened.

At the funeral many people showed up to express their condolences she ignored each and every one of them.  
Her mind was now focused on achieving a greater good.  
Kakashi heard the news from Obito before anyone else even knew. He came running to the training grounds and blabbered it to both him and Rin.

"I was there when it happened!" He exclaimed.  
"Really?!" asked Rin with his eyes wide, her jaw dropped open.  
"I mean-" he cut himself off running a hand through his hair not knowing how to react to all of the unwanted attention that he was receiving from his crush.

"I was there like when they told her." He said with a sad face. "My uncle sat her down at the office, and told her everything that had happened, he said he was sorry for her mother's passing and everything else that had happened… That poor Ryou, broke down in a sobbing mess." Obito's eyes saddened as he remembered the sight of the shattered girl and how he held her when she cried on his shoulder.

"Poor Ryou…" Rin said in concern bringing a hand to her mouth as she felt her heart twisting.

Kakashi wasn't sure how to feel about the girl's tragedy. After all it was none of his business, so he didn't give it much thought. In fact he didn't even show up to the funeral. He though it was selfish of her- at least she still had one loving parent yet, while other kids like himself had none.  
Still- part of him felt sorry for the girl.

* * *

Ryou was eleven years old now, and she trained more than ever before. One of her new missions was to get her father to regain her composure, and catch whoever was guilty for her mother and sister's murders.

She stumbled into her dirty, dark house and kicked off her shoes by the door.

"Ryou?" She heard a howl echo through the living room.  
She walked over only to see her dad passed out on the handmade silk rug that adorned the living room. Something ached in her chest when she saw her father rolling in the floor over a pile of his own piss or vomit.  
He saw her standing above him, her eyes gleaming with the moonlight in a hard face.  
Ryou was not the same, whatever had killed her mother had also killed something inside of her. Her compassion, perhaps?

"Ryou is that you?"

She stepped over him and said nothing.

"Ryou-" he repeated.  
"Stop calling for me. You're _not_ my father."

He repeated her name.  
 _"YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER!"_ She snapped.

she took a nearby empty alcohol bottle and threw it against the closest wall making a huge crash noise echo through out the house.

"MY FATHER IS NOT SOME DRUNK BASTARD WHO LIES ON THE FLOOR ALL DAY LONG, INTOXICATED AND CRYING." She heaved her chest rising violently. "So, either you fix yourself up or be ready to lose your other daughter."

With that she vanished from his sight. Ryou tried for days, even begged to be allowed to see her family's archive at the Uchiha police office. However, her wishes were always denied. She even got caught sneaking into the offices which is considered a federal crime and landed her in the Third Hokage's office.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself Ryou?" Sandaime asked scratching his beard.

"I **_need_** to take a look at the files of my mother's murder. And my sister's disappearance," Ryou said in a loud voice, her eyes burning with anger and frustration.

"I understand that mourning is hard, but you have to accept that the police did everything they could, and are still looking for the culprits."

"But why can't I look at the files-" Ryou said now standing up from her chair, which was sitting across the Hokage's desk.  
"Ryou, please understand, that is beyond your access and mine. It belongs to the Uchiha police force."

Our protagonist stood before his desk with both of her fist clenched, her teeth almost gritting.  
Ryou sensed someone behind the door, and so did the Hokage so he decided to change the subject. It was obvious even Ryou noticed his faux change in mood.

"I've asked my son Saisho to keep an eye on you. He says you've been making outstanding progress in your training. I congratulate you." He said nodding still smoking from his pipe.  
And in that moment the door opened wide and inside stepped in Team Minato with what Ryou assumed a mission report.

Obito and Rin hesitated in greeting her, they had heard she had been rather violent lately and didn't know if she would O.K. to approach. Ryou on the other hand didn't know how much they had heard before walking in. She avoided eye contact.  
Minato looked over the girl quickly, _'So this is the Noa girl…'_ he thought to himself as he saw the pain that filled her suspiciously narrowed eyes.

The Hokage greeted them and he stepped forward to turn in the mission report.

"Ryou, it's so nice seeing you." Said Rin giving her a brief strong embrace. "Yeah, we hadn't seen you in a while how've you been?" asked Obito placing a hand on her shoulder.  
"I've been _alright."_ A lie, which was obvious from her tone.  
"And stealing apparently," A third voice interrupted.

Like a predator, Ryou's eyes snapped to look at Kakashi. Sensing the anger radiating of Ryou, Obito gave a step back. Rin stretched a hand to reach for her as she approached to him.  
"Are you calling me a _thief_ Hatake?" She growled getting on his face.

Minato and the Hokage were now both watching with careful attention.

Kakashi hadn't seen the girl since the notebook incident. And now she seemed to be a completely different person.  
He remembered the face of the flustered girl who had looked at him with that pair of large watery eyes. The girl that stood before him now. Her face had fixed into a permanent scowl, and dark circles surrounded her eyes making them seem more menacing.

"Those who break the rules are trash." Kakashi spat at her.  
"Didn't they ever teach you not to eavesdrop?" Ryou retorted both of her fist clenched at her sides, her nails burying into her skin. Ryou clearly remembered the last time she had encountered him. The girl who still had had mother would've looked away bashfully and hid her head as she skulked out of the room. This Ryou however, she did not have the tolerance or time to put up with his or anyone else's rubbish.

"You broke into the Uchiha Police force department, breaking at least 10 of the most sacred Shinnobi rules. You're nothing, but trash," He finished.  
His eyes holding a cruel darkness in them.  
Ryou had a blank expression on her face. Everyone turned to look at her expecting some violent outburst to occur suddenly. The girl instead closed her eyes for a brief second and let out a long sigh relaxing her shoulders. Or perhaps there would be no violent outburst?

She opened her eyes and without a warning her fist flew to his face making a nasty crack echo the quiet room.  
He fell backwards to the floor and you could see blood oozing, darkening some areas of his mask.

She looked like a wild animal, her already messy hair was tangled covering most of her face and she held a look of pure fury in her face. She opened her aching fist again and was ready to launch a second one. She hadn't realized but she was being held back by the shoulder's by Kakashi's sensei.  
Even the Hokage had stood up from his desk and was looking at her with an angry expression.  
Obito's eyes were wide his jaw had dropped, and Rin covered her mouth with both hands a fearful expression on her face.

"Ryou! You are under mission suspension for two weeks." The Hokage shouted. "Please," he said in almost a begging tone, "Get some rest…" He finished with a tired sight pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Get off me," The girl angrily shrugged the kind blonde haired man off her and stepped towards the door, rushing out of the room.

 _'So much anger…'_ Minato thought to himself.

Kakashi's dark eyes were like daggers following her as she stepped out. And once again, she had completely humiliated him. He didn't feel sorry for the girl anymore. This event had only feed his thirst to get even with her even more.  
 **  
**Lately, just everything seemed to be a nightmare for Ryou.  
An endless nightmare which she could not escape from.

The murder, the news people harassing her, her dad's downward spiral. She was completely alone. And to make matters worse, she couldn't even get her hands on those files. There was only one way she was going to get to those files…  
If she couldn't get to those files the right way, she would have to do it the dirty way. She kept her distance hidden amongst the crowd when she saw Team Minato finally step out of the Hokage building. She focused her eyes on Obito, on that blissful idiot.

He would be her ticket in.


	7. Chapter 7

_AN: Heads up, this story is quite long. It start's when the main character's ages are 10 and will continue on until they are 24-26 or so. I have been writing this story for more than a year. I promise you there is written effort, character development, mystery. Some chapter might get slow, like this one, but i's important._

 _Thank you for reading! 3 I appreciate reviews, both good and bad._

 _All Love!_

* * *

 **7**  
 **Age: 11**

Due to her two week suspension. Ryou did nothing but train relentlessly from sunrise to sunset. She had no one waiting for her at home and now that she didn't have to concern herself with her idiot team this two week leave of absence was just dandy.

She had to become faster… stronger… Another one of her checklist goals was to develop a personal jutsu soon.

Before she proceeded with her plan to sneak into the Uchiha police department she had to gain speed and there was only one person that could help her. And as much as she hated it, she had to do it…

She stood behind him and without hesitation tapped his shoulder.

"Ryou! It's so nice seeing you!" He hugged her tightly.  
"Hi Gai." She said putting on the fakest smile she could muster.  
"How have you been? I'm so sorry I heard…" He began.

 _'I don't need your sympathies….'_ Ryou almost growled out. She stopped herself tho.

"It's been rough, but I've been fine… I could be better. I was thinking that maybe you could help me."

Gai raised a bushy eyebrow slightly taken back.

They soon stood at the training grounds. Gai had completely bought the idea that teaching Ryou how to be faster would help her feel better. His logic was that training releases endorphins and so she would be happier- makes sense no?

"Ryou, I feel like it would look good on you-" she cut him off.  
"I'm not wearing your stupid jumpsuit Gai. Now let's get to the point." The way she was treating him it was **almost** rude.

 _'Geez….'_ He thought slightly taken back.  
This was not the Ryou he had gone to the academy with.  
Gai started a routine and would make her wear weights on both her legs and her arms.  
For exactly two weeks whenever she could Ryou would meet with Gai and the rest of team Choza which consisted on Ebisu and Genma. And she would work on her speed with them.

It wasn't until one day Saisho-sensi showed up at her doorstep…

"Yes?" She opened the door slightly not wanting him to see anything in her home behind her.  
"Ryou, you're on mission suspension, but you are still expected to show up for training." He said with his arms crossed a disappointed look in his brown eyes the two thin lines at the edge of his lines slightly crinkled just like his father's.  
"I have been training." Ryou replied dully "Just not with _you._ "

She attempted to close the door, but he stuck his foot in and instead stepped inside the house. He looked at the once regal house which was a dumpster of a mess and smelled as if something dead was _still_ in the house.

"Ryou, where's your father?" He asked his eyes wide.  
"I don't know- or care." She hissed with venom.  
"Ryou- calm down." He asked attempting to reach the girl.  
"Stay away from me!" She snapped. "All you're doing is holding me back."

She began to run out of he house, but he got a hold of her arm.

"You think we're holding you back?" A challenging smirk made way to his face as he quickly devised an ingenious plan.  
"Tell you what, meet your team at the training grounds tomorrow and if you prove that we're only slowing you down. You're dismissed from training. Deal?"  
"Hn, I won't miss you." She said pulling back her arm forcefully and leaving her sensei in her house.

He couldn't help, but sigh, dealing with Ryou was going to be even harder now...

Meanwhile, the green eyed pre-teen focused all of her chakra in her nose, it was time to work on her original part-time main mission. Her mother hadn't passed down a lot of things to her. However, she had always been very thankful of having inherited her mother's very sensitive tracking abilities.  
As soon as she picked up the smell of her victim she rushed to find him.

Obito found himself walking the streets of Konoha he had the day off and was chewing on a candy. His hands were raised behind his neck as he looked up at the sky. It was a really nice day, he was wondering what Rin was doing when he suddenly bumped into someone.

"Hey watch where you-" He began.

Then he noticed it was Ryou and completely straightened his back.

"R-Ryou!" He exclaimed. He didn't want to end up like Kakashi with an almost broken nose on the floor.  
"Sorry, I should've watched were I was going." She apologized and offered a kind smile.

She had found her target.

"I'll see you later Obito-san…" she trailed off and slowly walked away.

This behavior was different.

"Wait- Ryou. What are you doing?" Obito asked.

From a window not so far away Kakashi watched the exchange. He unconsciously traced the slope of his nose.  
that was close, she had almost broken it, when she punched him the other day.

He looked at the old picture of her. The picture of the smiling young girl and then back at the turn out outside his window.  
In a year she had completely changed. She now wore a black long sleeve dress that reached to her mid tights and just to her elbows. A pair of fishnet tights covered most of her legs. And she wore a sleeveless long opened robe that reached her knees.  
And of course her clan's signature wear the slash across her waist with a thin gold string tying it together. Her hair was even bigger and more unkempt. And the cherry on top was her Konoha forehead protector displayed on her head.

The girl in the picture and the one outside his balcony almost looked like two complete different people, and he wondered if he should update his photo.

Later in the day Ryou stood in the park playground with an Uchiha boy.

"Bye Obito! Thank you for today! I had a lot of fun." Ryou said with a small grin. She half meant it, she half didn't mean it.  
He grinned back and they both parted ways.  
 _'Great…'_ Her plan was in motion.

Well at least something was going right.  
The following day, she finally showed up to train. Kurenai hugged her tightly and began asking her a bunch of questions. Asuma asked some and was friendly to her. It was when Saisho-sensei showed up that things turned ugly.

"Alright team. Today we are going to try a new strategy. Us against Ryou. If she can beat us, just as promised she doesn't have to show up to train, but if we beat her, during out next missions she has to carry all of our stuff."

Ryou got in a fighting stance, she saw Asuma and Kurenai do the same. Saisho-sensei stood there with his hands in his pockets a broad smirk on his face.

Ryou was crazy if she thought she could take the three of them at the same time. She was the first one to charge and attack Asuma. He successfully dodged her attack and counter attacked with several shuriken. Kurenai did the same, Ryou barely dodged her blades. They had been fighting for what felt like hours and so far she had the lower hand in the fight. Feeling exhausted and completely drained she feel to her knees.

 _'_ _How are they not tired…'_ she thought feeling exhausted.

It almost seemed like Asuma and Kurenai wouldn't run out of weapons, and they didn't even look the slightest bit exhausted. And that's when Ryou realized she had been trapped in a genjutsu all along...  
"It's no use…" She growled, she felt like she had been stuck in this illusion for hours and there was no way of getting out of it.  
The illusion was released she had only been in it for 20 minutes.

It was useless, she couldn't release a genjutsu, she couldn't even create crystals yet- she was still too weak.

She had lost...

"Seems like genjutsu are your weakness Ryou, but don't worry we'll help you work on that." Saisho-sensei smiled at her kindly. Ryou was scowling. She couldn't believe this was happening.  
"And- as promised, the next mission Ryou will be carrying all of our stuff!" Asuma and Kurenai began grinning. This only made Ryou's scowl deepen, she had her arms crossed in neglect.  
"Hn…" she rolled her eyes at the group.

"Also, another reason why I wanted the three of you gathered is due to the Chunnin exams that are coming up. I'm recommending the three of you, since I feel like you guys are ready for it."

Saisho explained what the Chunnin exams were and that he wasn't expecting them to participate but that they should still do it. Without another word before the rest of her team could say anything to her Ryou disappeared.  
This meant she had to train even more. The sooner she reached a higher rank, the stronger she would become and the sooner she would get her hands on whoever destroyed her family.

Her most recent personal missions were:  
1) Defeat Genjutsus  
2) Create a chakra crystal  
3) Befriend Obito Uchiha  
4) Obtain the files of her mother's murder and sister's disappearance  
5) Find Whoever was guilty and kill them…

 _...Slowly._

She wasted no time in filling out the form and the next day it had been slipped under Saisho's door in his home.  
Ryou was home and found her father holding his head in the kitchen table, the house was still a bloody mess…

"How old where you when you created your first crystal?" She hadn't spoken to him in weeks.  
Still holding his head he looked at his daughter, almost like he was in pain. There wasn't a change in expression in her face.  
"25." With that she began walking away, "Wait-" he called. She ignored him and once again left the house.

She spent the entire day at the local library doing research on genjutsu and how to avoid it. Hours and hours researching her newfound weakness and how to fix it. If anyone else found out bout it, it would be bad….  
It was then that she felt his presence. Slamming the book shut she turned to see Kakashi peering over her shoulder. She had been so absorbed in her studies that she did not hear or smell him coming.

 _'Why the hell is he always where I'm at?'_ She thought frustrated. He seemed to be just about everywhere!

"Reading about Genjutsu?" he asked raising an eyebrow.  
"Do you want me to break your face Hatake?" She snapped threatening him pushing her books away from her, as if in disgust.

He gave a step back self consciously, expecting her to really break his face. She didn't want him to know what her new weakness was- him knowing could be dangerous.

"I heard you were participating in the Chunnin Exams." He began casually in an attempt to ignore her menacing glare.  
She began walking away from him, "Yeah, and what of it?"  
"Just confirming. I guess I'll see you in the field. I expect you will follow the rules."

She turned to glare at him with a pair of fiery eyes.

She was about to physically attack him, but thought wiser not too.  
 _'Save it for "The Field"'…_ a voice inside her head said.  
A twisted smirk made way to her face she didn't say anything else and with that she left him standing confused at the entrance of the public library.

Personal Goal #6:  
If possible, beat Hatake Kakashi.

* * *

It had been months since the killings at her home had transpired. More than half a year at least. All teams had been training extremely hard for the Chunnin Exams.  
And Ryou had been working on her personal projects as well.  
She still wasn't able to defend herself against Genjutsus, or to create chakra crystals. But her friendship with Obito had been growing which was always excellent progress and got her one step closer to obtaining those forbidden files.

Team Saisho presently found themselves at the Chunin exams gate. Ryou had easily breezed through the written part. Now it was time for the real magic the second part or the forbidden woods and the third one the one that consisted on individual combat.

First up it was Obito vs. Gai, Ryou and Rin were standing next to each other cheering loudly. Obito got distracted looking at Rin cheering. The boy had been completely engrossed and didn't notice Gai move to roundhouse kick him in the face. Sadly, the fight was over in record time.

Gai was to pass to the second round.

The Second fight consisted on Kakashi vs. Asuma. And in this one even if Ryou knew what the outcome would be, she was almost leaning over the balcony from where they were watching. Kurenai by her side. "Kick his ass Asuma!" Ryou would cheer violently while shaking her fist in the air.  
Saisho-sensei watched Ryou cheering interest from the other side of the room. It had been a while since he had seen the girl show so much positive energy.  
Sadly, Asuma lost the battle.  
Kurenai fought against Genma and won, which was starting to look good for Team Saisho.  
The final fight of the first round was Ryou versus Ebisu.  
Let's just say Ebisu ended up on the floor with his dark glasses completely cracked and Ryou stood above his body her rubbing her injured knuckles with a bored look on her face.

Now it was time for the second round.

Kakashi vs. Gai, was entertaining to watch and despite the fact that Ryou prayed Gai would win... predictably enough Kakashi won.

 _Of course._

He was lucky they hadn't encountered each other yet-  
Kurenai was to fight Ame Hageshi from the Sand Village the battle endured for some time and Kurenai attempted fighting the puppet user but was not very successful. Despite her team cheering from the stands she soon dropped to her knees and raised her hand in surrender.

 _'I guess genjutsu aren't that useful against puppets…'_ thought Ryou as she watched with a small pout.

Now it was Ryou's turn.

Ryou vs. Hana Akai from the Grass village  
Ryou stood in the field before a pretty girl with bright violet hair and vibrant matching pink eyes. Her long hair was held up in a pony tail and was covered in flowers.  
She wore a brown dress with matching pink flowers in it.

"Now beginning the match between Ryou Noa and Hana Akai."

Ryou felt the pit of her stomach slightly churn. She had heard of this girl. She came from a team of older Genin from the Grass village. Those vibrant eyes, she was obviously a Genjutsu user.

The match began and Ryou with closed eyes gave a massive jump back. Hana gave a jump forward and began attacking Ryou with a small blade cutting her arms as she tried to defend herself.

"No!" Kurenai said from the balcony banging her hands on the metal rail.

Few of Ryou's friends were cheering for her.  
Asuma stood next to Kurenai worried, "I wonder how Ryou's goanna get herself out of this one…"  
In his head he pictured all the potential scenarios in which Ryou could win this match and all of them were very slim.  
Kakashi watched with interest, Genjustu was the girl's main weakness. There was no way she would get out of this one. He couldn't wait to see the girl loose and become publicly humiliated before the entire ninja community.  
Ryou looked away while attempting to attack the girl. She couldn't look at the enemy's eyes. If she looked she'd be trapped in a genjutsu and the match would instantly be over.  
And suddenly the brunette threw a fist at the girl greatly failing. Her eyes went wide as Hana ducked.

"Missed me!" Hana giggled and stuck out her tongue at the girl who kept her eyes closed. "You're going to have to open your eyes at some point." She said with a smirk.  
 _'This isn't working out…'_ Ryou quickly ducked and touched the ground quickly before doing a quick backflip. And in that moment a huge cloud of white smoke filled the bottom part of the arena.

Hana stood in the cloud of smoke coughing.  
"Come out and fight me!" she shouted. Her shrill voice echoing the arena.  
 _'Just what is she thinking…' Saisho_ thought slightly concerned.  
He had almost a year training her and he knew that the only ninja art Ryou had never been able to master was genjutsu. She could easily tell when she was in one, but getting out of one was a whole other story.

The smoke cleared out and everyone was surprised to see Ryou all the way across the arena crouching with both of her hands pressed against the floor. Her forehead protector had been lowered to cover both of her eyes. Hana stood in the center of the arena confused by the superfluous amount of rectangular thin papers surrounding her in a thick circumference.

"Move and your dead." She hissed out to her enemy.  
Making time to calibrate her other 4 senses completely. Hana observed her carefully figuring out just what she was thinking.  
"While you were blinded I covered the entire perimeter with bombs. You can't jump over them. One wrong step and say goodbye to both of your feet."

Hana stood frozen with eyes wide.  
The Grass village girl analyzed her opponents face carefully. She couldn't tell if she was bluffing or not.

The Hokage leaned forward and began watching with interest. Kakashi noticed the interest of the Hokage and mentally cursed the girl. He even thought of a way to sabotage the fight, but there was nothing subtle that he could think off. Wait a minute- there was something…  
He glanced at Obito who had regained consciousness recently and was leaning way to forward on the balcony gripping it so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

"What? But that makes no sense! What are you going to do now, wait for me to simply walk out?" Hana shouted back fear edging her voice.

Ryou stood up. Her eyes still hidden. She would have to rely on her other senses hearing, smell and touch.  
She could smell Hana. The flowers in her head made it easy to locate her in the arena. And as long as she kept talking it would be even easier to know how she was moving or what she was doing. Ryou wasn't very conversational, but she had to keep Hana talking.

"Of course, only I know which papers will trigger the bombs." A smirk made way to the leaf ninja's face.

"But Ryou is blind folded. There's no way she can know what Hana will do. One wrong step and she's done." Rin said with concern.  
"Ryou you better not blow yourself up!" Obito shouted leaning further over the balcony.

Kakashi was now observing every single movement the girl did. She was planning on winning this fight- blindfolded?  
Was she out of her fucking mind. It was impossible.

He couldn't get the Hokage's intrigued expression from his face. He had to distract her, somehow...

"Look!" He suddenly exclaimed and leaning forward pointing. Both Obito and Rin looked at his finger and Kakashi took this opportunity to shove Obito forward over the rail and down the balcony.

"AHHHH!" Obito shouted as he fell forward.

Ryou recognized the voice. She instantly removed her forehead protector and looked in the direction where her friend had fallen eyes wide. Everyone but Kakashi had turned to face the boy that was loosely hanging off the balcony.  
Kakashi kept his eyes on the girl, 'perfect.' Now, the only thing he needed was for Hana to make eye contact with Ryou.  
It was then that our protagonist saw Kakashi's dark eyes piercing her, she noted the bored expression on what was visible of his face and knew he was behind this. Rin was attempting to help Obito up. In that moment Ryou took advantage of the distraction and shot several shuriken stars at her opponent.

"Ack!" Hana groaned as she held onto her new injuries.  
She turned to look at Ryou jus in time for the girl to squeeze her eyes shut tightly.  
 _'Nice try Hatake..' she thought smugly._

Still with her eyes covered Ryou hopped on two particular pieces of paper before reaching the small circle were Hana was standing with her small knife. Ryou's grin became wider as she pulled out a pair of Shuriken in her hands. She threw more shuriken where Hana was standing, she ducked- too predictable. And Ryou holding her kunai made a jump to attempt and slice her. She landed on the palms of her hands and instead managed to kick the girl in what she assumed was her back. She could hear her feet shuffling nearby and with a swift flick of her arm the girl was off her feet.  
A horrified scream left Hana's mouth as she fell into the paper trap bombs, many other white papers flying in the air. The people stared with their jaws dropped, eyes gauging out of their sockets. Several Chunnin were already rushing down to the field.  
Everyone held their breaths. The arena was completely silent.  
Hana opened her violet eyes and saw Ryou was standing on top of her the kunai knife had been tightly pressed against her neck. The match was over.

The audience was still quiet. Everyone looking at the match with their eyes wide. "What the fuck just happened?!" Obito shouted his eyes the size of golf balls. He had done a rather quick recovery from the shock of almost falling into the arena.  
Hana's eyes were just as wide, her hair now a complete mess.

"I lied. there are no bombs. This is just a bunch of white paper." Ryou said with a small chuckle. Before throwing some papers on the scared girl.

Obito actually crouched to his knees _'That was pure genius!'_ He said anime crying. Why couldn't he had thought of something like that?!

Rin cheered, so did Kurenai and Asuma. Kakashi stood frozen. He saw the amused expression on the Hokage's face and he felt a pang of jealousy.  
' _Clever girl…'_ he thought bitterly.  
Hana felt mortified. She couldn't believe she had been fooled by such a basic trick.

"And the winner of this match is Ryou Noa." The coach declared.  
Ryou lowered her headband to her neck and a broad grin became plastered on her face, she helped up her opponent with a hand. And stepped away to meet her team. Saisho-sensei was thrilled He hadn't seen the girl smile in so long, _this_ was the real accomplishment.

"Only you would think of that!" Asuma said playfully punching her shoulder. Kurenai gave her a hug. Ryou actually hugged back.  
"Ryou-chan is so smart!" someone said.  
"I don't think anyone else could've thought of such a brilliant plan."

The Hokage's pleased face, even Minato-sensei looked impressed.  
She was alone for a brief moment and Kakashi, the only other Chunnin in her generation, approached her.

"Next time it's going to be just you and me in he field, and I'm not falling for your stupid paper tricks." He threatened.  
"Hm. We'll see about that." She retorted with a pleased smirk and narrowed eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

**_8_**

 ** _Age: 12_**

 _Another year had passed and thing were finally beginning to turn up for Ryou._

Her father had recomposed himself after a very sloppy year, and he had given up alcohol for good. Her relationship with her team had improved even if Asuma and Kurenai seemed more into each other than their team.  
Obito was now her 'best friend', and she was barely starting to learn how to craft crystals which was a huge deal given the fact that most clan members learnt to do it in they're adulthood.

"I'm home dad." She said taking a bite off an apple in the kitchen. She opened her backpack and put another 2-3 in her back before making her way out of the house. "Wait-"  
"Yeah?" She stopped.

Her dad had been reading the newspaper and he removed his reading glasses.

"Ryou, there's been a lot of tension with Iwagakure lately. So I want you to be carefully whenever you train or when you're out on missions. Understood?" He warned.  
"What does the village Hidden in the Stone have to do with us?" she asked.  
"Just- not good news. Be careful." He said putting his hand on top of his daughter's head.

She rushed to the Uchiha compound where she would be meeting Obito for some evening training. Even if her friendship with him had began over interest-  
it wouldn't be long until she convinced him allow her to break into the police department.

"I swear, first time I'm early and you're late." Obito sighed shaking his head.

The moonlight illuminated the field with a lake of the compound where Obito usually "trained". It was rare when they were able to meet at night. Especially on such a dark, peaceful one like tonight's. Both of the shinnobi climbed to the tallest tree in the field.

"I picked up some important stuff." Ryou saw pulling out a box with dumplings, two waters, and several apples for them both to share.  
"So what are we doing tonight?" Obito asked confused scratching the back of his head.  
"Planning." Ryou said mischievously. "For what?" The clueless one replied.  
"For when you ask Rin out of course!"  
"Shhhhhh!" Obito ran up to her and plastered his hand over her mouth. "Shut up! Someone could hear you!" She licked his hand and feeling grossed out he pulled his hand away.  
"So you're admitting it?" she asked with a grin.  
"N-No. But I don't want any rumors spreading around the village." He said with a noticeable blush on his face, his arms crossed over his chest in a defensive position.  
"Suuuure." Ryou said as she began to help herself to a dumpling.  
"What about you-" Obito suddenly snapped. "Why don't we focus on _your_ _love interest. Hmm?" He said raising an eyebrow suspiciously._

"I don't have time for such things." She said in a dull voice before taking a sip of her water bottle.  
"Bull! I know you like Kakashi!" This time her water went the wrong way and she spit it out spraying Obito who looked absolutely grossed out.  
"Are you _fucking_ crazy?!" She snapped both of her eyes wide in honest shock.  
"Or- at least he likes you. It's weird how he always looks at you, and only talks to you-" Obito shrugged.  
"I think you're confusing infatuation with pure blind hatred." Ryou scoffed. "If looks could kill Hatake would've killed me 1,000 times already." Ryou couldn't help, but laugh.  
"Now stop changing the subject we have plenty of planning to do." Ryou began.  
"Wait-" Obito began. He became quiet for a long time.  
"What?" Ryou droned.  
"N-Nothing. Never mind." Obito shook his head.

* * *

 _Kakashi woke up the following morning and the first thing he saw was her. Her eyes were starring at him from the wall. He immediately felt the anger he had built for Ryou Noa bubble in his stomach. A new picture had been added to his small mural. It was one of Ryou holding her Chunnin vest with a small smirk. Another picture which had appeared on the newspaper. This one was more recent and the image was provocative. He felt as if she was mocking him, smirking at the fact he would never surpass her. He started his dull morning routine before heading out to run some errands._

* * *

"Come on Obito! You can do it!" Ryou said as she massaged his tense shoulders.

"Just go up to her and ask her out, right? How hard can this be?" He said to himself. He attempted to ignore the beads of sweat that were begging to form on his temple. His heart rushing in beats almost escaping his rib cage.

Rin was calmly sitting on a bench in the park reading a book. Obito mustered all of the courage he could to approach her. He took in a deep breath which made his chest swell as he began approaching her. He had approached her a thousand times before, but never like this.

"Wait!" Ryou suddenly hissed, her voice didn't reach Obit's ears. "What the fuck." She said to herself. Finding a nearby acorn she aimed for Obito's big head and tossed it. He turned around with an irked expression as he rubbed his aching head.

From a block away she saw Kakashi slowly approaching the scene.  
"Here comes Kakashi! Shit, shit. He's totally going to ruin this." She began panicking.

Obito felt his heart racing. "What do we do, what do we do?!" He panicked retreating.  
"I'll distract him!" And with that, Ryou went behind the tree into the bushes and began to slyly make her way to distract the silver haired ninja.

He had always possessed the keen ability to show up at the _worst_ _time._

Ryou briefly turned around and saw Obito sit down with Rin on the bench. 'SCORE!' she said to herself as she hid under a nearby bush.

"Are you stalking me?"

 _'Oh shit.'_ She suddenly leaped out of the shrub and saw Kakashi standing over her. He was carrying a small bag of groceries. His bored expression was still plastered on his face like always.

"Stalking you? Please Hatake. As if you were that interesting or worthy of my time." She said putting her hands on her small hips and shaking her head.

"Then what are you-" She interrupted him with a bark. Her fierce green eyes met his dull dark ones. "Fight me." She suddenly blurted as a lightbulb went off in her head.

 _'I have to keep him entertained!'  
_  
"What?" Kakashi just looked confused.  
"Paper, scissors, rock!" Ryou began playing.

He gave her an incredulous look.

"Are you making fuUUun of me?" His eyes became when his teen voice cracked.  
This time Ryou couldn't help it and she burst out laughing.  
"This is a perfectly normal reaction of my developing body. Of course, you're extremely immature and find it humorooOUs." His voice cracked again at the end of the sentence making Ryou laugh even harder. He cleared his throat in an attempt to compose his seriousness. She was now clutching her sides as she continued to loudly laugh at him.  
Seeing Kakashi like this. She didn't know if she was laughing at his embarrassment or at the fact that he became angrier and angrier the louder she laughed. He became furious and flustered until he snapped.

"It's not funny!"

Finally Ryou stopped laughing. She turned around and saw that both Obito and Rin were gone. She had to get out of here _now._

"You said you wanted to fight me?" Kakashi hissed.

 _'Oh, shit.'_

Ryou flickered her eyes back to his and he looked absolutely livid. His deathly glare slowly wiped the smirk off her face. She had never seen him so angry, even when she punched him in the face.

 _'He's really going to kill me this time...'_ She thought.

"A week from now meet me at the training grounds by the red bridge in the afternoon. No excuses." He growled out, even dropping his grocery bag.

He stretched out his hand and Ryou looked at it as if it belong to an alien. His eyes were cold, he wasn't even blinking. Almost like a shark. It slightly terrified Ryou even if she would never admit it. She raised her fingerless gloved hand and slightly hesitated when shaking his limp.

This is when she realized this was the first time she had ever actually touched him. His skin was cold to her touch. She pulled away quickly still feeling the lingering coolness in her palm which made her feel very uneasy.

"No backing out." She repeated with a smirk in an attempt to keep her cool.

Standing tall, with her back erect, she pretended to walk away calmly, but in the inside she was shitting bricks. He was going to kill her.  
Ryou ran into an alley and focused on finding Obito. She closed her eyes for a moment and got ahold of his scent. Following it, she met him back at the Uchiha training grounds.

"What happened?!" Did she say yes?" Ryou asked grabbing onto his shoulders.  
"Ah! Don't sneak up on me like that." He put a hand over his racing chest. Feeling as if he had just had a heart attack.  
"I couldn't ask her." He sweat dropped lamely.

Ryou felt like strangling him. She stared at him blankly.

"Great Obito. Now I have a fight with Kakashi next week. He's going to kill me."  
"What?" He asked shocked his dark eyes widening.

Ryou explained to Obito what happened. He seemed a little uncomfortable with the idea as well. "What are you going to do now?" He asked running a hand through his spiky hair anxiously.  
"Fight him." She sighed. "I have to prepare for that, but before… There's something I need you to help me with."

It was now the evening 7:00 p.m. to be precise an hour after the offices close and when everyone is having dinner. Obito stood with Ryou outside of the Uchiha police station building.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked for like the 5th time. "I mean, if we get caught- I probably won't get in trouble, but you…"  
"I have to do this." She said looking at him with 100% certainty in her green eyes. "I've analyzed the building. There are no cameras but every evening there is a guard keeping watch. So we need to watch out for him." Obito nodded.  
Already having the keys to go in was a blessing. They easily entered the building and now for the hard part.  
Ryou and Obito ran up the stairs as stealthily as they could. It was when they heard footsteps that they both froze in the spot. Thinking quickly both ninja jumped and glued their feet to the roof. Ryou's heart stopped. A curly haired ninja who appeared to be around their age was calmly patrolling the building. In his hand he held a flashlight.  
Ryou swallowed a thick lump that had been forming in her throat. If busted again... Only heaven knew what the consequences would be. The Hokage would have mercy on her, but the Uchiha clan? Well that was a whole other story...

It was then that the guard looked up. He saw them both. His eyes met both You and Obit's. Both were frozen in the spot with fear.

Unsure of what to do, Obito allowed his dead weight to drop and he fell on top of the guard. Pinning him to the floor. Ryou took this opportunity and without another word sprinted up the stairs, locking herself in the Uchiha police chief's office. She heaved as she looked over her shoulder. "Must be a pretty shitty guard if he forgot about me..."

She opened the door to his secret file room and began looking for the documents.

Meanwhile Obito rubbed his bum as he stood with his cousin.  
"Sorry, Shisui-san." He grinned sheepishly.  
"Obito, what are you doing here at this hour?" He asked with both of his hands on his hips.  
"Uh-" Obito was at loss of words. "I forgot something."  
"Really? What?" Shisui asked now crossing his arms over his chest not believing him. His cousin was well known for his ridiculous lies and excuses around the compound.  
"M-My Ninja tool kit!" He said touching the one that was on his leg. The last thing Obito saw was Shisui's eyes turn the deathly crimson shade of the Sharingan.

Meanwhile, Ryou eyed the photographs of her mother's corpse and analyzed the details in them. She scanned the images and attempted to memorize them to the best of her ability.

 _'There was no sign of force entry…'_

Natsume Noa had a blessed ability for sensing. She was a gifted tracker. If a stranger had been rounding the house she would've definitely been the first one to know. She wouldn't have hidden away in Miharu's room before being taken as a "hostage." Which was not a possibility.

Then there was another detail. The pool of blood that her mother was found laying in. And the messy room, the furniture was on top of the blood- not underneath it. Meaning there had been a struggle after the kill. Ryou sat in the bottom of the small storage closet in a pensive matter. She was still trying to puzzle this whole event together. It didn't make sense. Her sister's file… It said her leg from her knee to the bottom had been found alongside with blood by a river. But the river ends at the walls of the city. If her body had really gone into the river it would've been found regardless… Concluding that Miharu did not drown. She was taken somewhere and over the wall- Suddenly she heard a high-pitched scream echo from downstairs it sounded like Obito. She had to get out of here, she put the file back in place and tenaciously jumped to her feet- She rushed out of the room.

"Where do you think you're going?" A small scream escaped Ryou's mouth as she fell back on her bottom. She had bumped into a person. It was a male person, he looked to be about a year or two older than her. He had curly, messy, dark hair and proudly wore his hitai-ate protector on his forehead. He wore the traditional Uchiha outfit and colors. Most contrasting were his ruby eyes gleaming in the darkness.

"N-Nothing." She said trying to give a step back, her hands slightly shaking. She had to do something...

His top eyelashes were extremely long and curved up at the corners of his eyes. Almost opposite of her own lashes.

Ryou ended up bumping her back against a cabinet. Making a thudding sound, she slightly turned around and returned her eyes to the Uchiha. Her eyes darted towards a nearby window. She could make a run for it. Preparing to sprint she lay a foot down when a body suddenly flickered in front of her. Almost in the blink of an eye.

 _'W-What-'_ had he had really flickered or was it her imagination. He was inhumanely fast. Once again she bumped into him, both of his hands held a tight grip on her upper arms this time.

"Hn," a smirk made way to his face, and he placed a hand under her chin making her look up to him.

"Did you really think I would forget about _you?"_ He closed an eye winking at her. _  
'Is he… flirting with me?'_ Ryou thought confused as she felt a rush of blood rush to her face.She felt her heart hammer in her chest. She turned her face away. There was no escape, she was trapped.

"I'm Shisui. What's your name?" He asked cooly as he leaned in dangerously close. He raised one of his arms caging her against the shelf behind.

"I-I'm- I'm not going to tell you my name. So you can report me!" She raised her voice at him upset. Not thinking rationally she kneed him away and made a run for it.

Before she could even take a full step he had already managed to get a tight grip on both of her wrist from behind. "Ouch," he said almost humorously with a chuckle.  
"Breaking in? Tampering with federal documents? Assaulting an officer? Resisting? Tsk... Tsk..." He said mocking her. She struggled which only made him strengthen his grip, he pulled on her arms making her arch her back painfully.  
"I expected more from the renowned Ryou Noa."

Her eyes went wide. He knew. She wondered just what type of expression he wore on his face. She could only hear his voice right behind her ear, almost too close for comfort.

"I know why you're here." He stated.  
"Then what are you waiting for?" She remained tense as she accepted her fate. "Throw me to the dogs for obstruction of justice and everything else I deserve."

He paused for a moment.

"That all depends..." He suddenly said in a softer tone. His grip also loosened. She noted he was letting his guard down. She had to play her cards carefully.  
He actually let her go completely. Slowly, she turned to face him. Looking up to meet his now charcoal eyes. The slightest smile on his face.

"How about we get out of here and talk about why I should or shouldn't tell my superiors that I found you here?"

She had no choice.

* * *

A few moments later, You found herself sitting with Shisui Uchiha in a local tango shop. Right off the bat, You could tell that Shisui was no ordinary person. There was something special about him, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was.

"Dango is more delicious in good company, wouldn't you agree?" He said wiggling his eyebrows at the bushy haired girl.

Remaining flustered she looked away unsure on what to say or how to proceed.

"H-How do you know who I am?" she asked with a bit more courage.a bit more courageously. She wouldn't allow him to think that she was some stuttering fool.  
"How could I not?" he retorted with an amused smile.  
"I remember a couple of years ago when you were rookie of the year, then you were one of the few Genin promoted to Chunnin and well of course your family's incident…" he said with a sad smile. "I assume you were in the office looking for information on the crime scene no?"

She only nodded with a sad expression, "Are you going to tell on me?" She asked with a concerned expression.  
"Maybe…" He said darkly looking at her with his onyx eyes.  
"If you don't enjoy your dango, probably."

The smile returned to his face. Ryou couldn't help it as a small smile crept on her lips as the took a big bite of the sweet dango.

Shisui walked Ryou home that night, it wasn't that late when her father greeted her.

"Ah, I've been waiting for you." He said with a smile.  
He was slightly taken back when he saw a smile plastered on Ryou's face.  
"You know, this is how I always want to see you. Happy and smiling." He said with a grin on his face as well.  
Ryou didn't bother hiding her smile, "I have you, and some friends and that's all I need."

Her father hugged her rubbing her shoulder as he lead her to the kitchen. "Look at my most recent project…"  
On the table was a whole new beautiful collection of crystal jewelry.  
"They're beautiful dad." She said fingering a necklace with 5 crystals that was on the table.  
"I call it the 'Natsume collection'." He said sadly.

He picked up that one necklace Ryou held in her hands and put it around her neck. "You've always had a peculiar taste for expensive things." Aru said with a sweat drop, but I'll give it to you. The necklace consisted on a simple threat holding 5 equally sized and separated chakra crystals.  
"Dad! Thank you so much!" Ryou hugged him again. She was so glad to have him back as her father now.  
"Just as a reminder to never give up." He said fingering one of his crystals which was now on her daughter's neck. a dark expression on his features. A reminiscent of his days as an alcoholic.  
"Thank you…" Ryou repeated feeling the weight of it just above her collarbone.  
 _'That necklace costs a real fortune…She better not loose it!'_ A part of him mourned for the necklace he was giving away.

Aru felt that everything had returned to normal. Well almost normal… After his wife's murder, his oldest child's disappearance and his temporary alcoholism… Ryou finally looked happy again. She had been spending most of her days hanging out with one of the Uchiha kids and training. She had even been promoted to Chunnin. Despite the nearby threat of war, business was starting to stabilize again and most importantly he and his daughter were their old selves again.

It was when he pulled his hand away from his daughter and she spoke- that's when he knew that something had _died_ in his daughter the same day that his wife and eldest daughter had passed. She would never be the same again. Even if she smiled or appeared to be completely ordinary on the surface.

"Dad. I promise you. If anyone _even thinks_ of stealing this necklace..."

 _There was a new found darkness in her eyes which he had never witnessed before._

"I will kill them."


	9. Chapter 9

**_9  
Age: 12_**

The next day, Ryou spent most of the afternoon in her room writing connections and trying to conclude what had really happened that fateful day when her family had been assaulted. It didn't make sense.  
The furniture, the missing limb.

Who could've done such a thing?

She needed more information… She figured her next challenge would be to look at her father's enemies and do her own independent research on them.

She was so focused on her work that she didn't notice when Obito came bursting through her bedroom door.

"Ryou!" He said catching his breath. A wild expression on his face.  
"Ryou! What did Shisui do to you?!" Obito said panicking as he rushed and shook her by the shoulders.  
"Nothing. He took me to dinner, why?" she asked eyeing him warily.  
"I knew it!" Obito shouted smacking his fist into his other empty palm.  
"Knew what?" Ryou asked confused.

Obito took in a deep breath and sounding annoyed dropped over her massive King bed with 10 pillows. He raised his head with his eyes narrowed. "It was a couple of weeks ago, we were walking around the compound. And well, word gets around it's a small community you know? So you left and Shisui approached me asking who you were-"  
"And what did you tell him?" Ryou said turning to face Obito from her chair, both of her eyes wide.  
"I told him you were my friend." Obito scoffed.

* * *

 _"Hey, I didn't know you had it in you old dog. She's cute." Shisui had said elbowing Obito grinning.  
"She's just my friend!" Obito snapped, feeling his face grow red.  
"Sure." Shisui said obviously not convinced.  
"I've seen her walking around here with you more than once. Doesn't look very 'friendly' to me." The older cousin began poking his younger cousin's cheek.  
"Stop Shisui. She's just a friend." Obito said beginning to grow annoyed.  
"Well lucky me then, you should introduce us." Shisui said with a playful wink._

 _"EHHHHHHHH?!" Obito was completely taken back._

 _"Shisui the Body Flicker", who at the age of 14 was already rumored to be the become the best Uchiha to ever live, wanted to meet his best friend. Obito didn't think it was a good idea._

* * *

 _"And what did he say?" Ryou asked now standing up.  
"That he wanted to meet you." Obito finished.  
"So how was last night then?" He asked throwing a pillow at the girl, who couldn't help but smile._

* * *

The week passed. Ryou hadn't seen Shisui since their date after he caught her breaking into the Uchiha Police department. She wondered if he took her out to obtain more information and then told on her. The thought of high rank ninja showing up to her house to take her to the Hokage for her punishment made her uneasy everyday. However, besides that she had spent countless hours every afternoon attempting to learn how to craft crystals from her father. He was about to leave on his first business trip since the incident with Ryou's mother and sister. She didn't want to worry him knowing that she would be fighting Kakashi today.

"Close your eyes." He said "And focus your chakra on both of your palms. Picture it leaving your body, shape it. Control it." He said in a hushed voice.  
The father and daughter were currently working in the family basement. So far tiny shards had been able to leave Ryou's palms, but nothing major that could even bring harm to someone else. _Atleast nothing greater than a scratch._

"It's so hard…" She sighed in defeat. "How do you do it dad?" She asked kicking a nearby rock in the crafting basement.  
"Crystal making comes from a clear mind, and emotions. The more beautiful your feelings and thoughts…" He suddenly held a perfect crystal in his hands "The more beautiful your chakra gem." He said polishing it slightly.

"It's late… I think I'm going to call it a night. Remember clear mind, and good thoughts." And with that he was gone. Ryou wouldn't see him until 10 days from now.

That night she didn't sleep, barely making any progress in her crystal making. She was going to lose her fight in the afternoon. It was suddenly that the doorbell ringing echoed throughout the empty house. Ryou rubbing her tired eyes rushed up the stairs and opened the door where two older ninja were standing. They were both Jounin and she recognized them from being at the Hokage's office. She felt her body immediately tense up.

' _Oh shit…'_

Had Shisui snitch? Had the Uchiha clan's golden boy tattle told on her.

"Ryou Noa." One of them began.

The twelve year old girl had to look up to them.

"You have been summoned to the Hokage's summit." He continued. "I recommend you gather your hitai-ate protector and follow us. We will escort you."  
Dread washed over her face. This was it. The major punishment and he was going to have her head for it.  
She flashed the two ninja with stoic faces a nervous smile before following them to the Hokage's office.

And that's how Ryou's morning got started.  
She felt so stupid. Shisui had seduced the information out of her and she had fallen for his trick. How foolish of her.

Kakashi's on the other hand you could say was rather…

* * *

 _Hard. Very hard._

His eyes shot up open. It took him a second, but he finally realized he was in his apartment alone, and caught his breath.  
He didn't even want to think about his dream. He glanced down at the tent pitched in his bed and sighed even if he had just woken up he was already feeling exhausted. It was 7 in the morning and he was already a hot mess and it was all because of- her… It was always her. Haunting him.

That's how strong the powers she held over him were.  
He turned to look at the three pictures of the girl in the wall, he needed to update it again. He secretly hoped the day wouldn't come because it would mean that Ryou had appeared on the newspaper _again_.

He hated being a teenager and not to be able to control his thoughts, his nature.

He shook his head. His body had began changing and he had noticed that so had hers. Her hips had started to become a little wider and her chest was barely developing. As much as he hated to admit it-he was a boy and he had thought of what she looked like naked. He shook his head at the idea.  
 _Oh how he dreaded her existence…._

* * *

 _Ryou stepped into the Hokage's office, her head help up high and her jaw clenched. Inside the office Saisho-sensei was standing in front of his father. And the Hokage was looking at her with a very serious expression. His face resting on both of his perched hands with a pensive look in his face._

 _"Ryou." He said very seriously._  
 _"Yes, Sandaime?" she repeated in her strongest voice._  
 _"You know why you're here, right?"_

 _She swallowed the lump that had been growing on her throat expecting her punishment._

* * *

Meanwhile Kakashi warmed up at the training grounds. A small audience had already been forming which consisted on Obito, Rin, Asuma, Kurenai and honestly most of their old classmates. _  
_Of course Obito couldn't keep his mouth shut and told everyone about his on going fight with Ryou. Eager to se the two geniuses clash, they had gathered for the spectacle.

Today would be the day he proved to himself that he was superior than some spoiled girl.

 _'Where was she, she was late? Very late.'_

"Did she chicken out?" Genma asked Gai from the audience.  
"Tsk.. You speak as if you didn't know Ryou." He retorted. "She'd never back out. And now more than she's finally going up against Kakashi."

Gai had a very bad feeling about this fight…

"Popcorn anyone?" Anko offered with a wide grin as she clutched her popcorn bag close to her.

It took a while longer but Ryou finally showed up. She came in running from the city and her fans began cheering.

"Don't tell me you overslept?" laughed Asuma.

Kakashi noticed immediately. And he began to feel felt his stomach churn in anger.

Her dark green vest…

"Are you kidding me?" she said with a wide grin. "I just got promoted to Jounin!" She said showing off her band new vest.

Everyone started congratulating her and cheering.

* * *

 _"Ryou." He said very seriously._  
 _"Yes, Sandaime?" she repeated in her strongest voice._  
 _"You know why you're here, right?"_

 _She swallowed the lump that had been growing on her throat._

 _'BUSTED! Damn that Shisui….' She thought a scowl beginning to form on her features._

 _Ryou scanned the face on her sensei he looked almost upset. A sad smile showed on his face._

 _"No. I'm afraid I'm not." She said in one breath. Deciding to play dumb._  
 _"Very well then…" The Hokage stood up. Ryou closed her eyes for a momenther career as a ninja was officially over…_

 _"Congratulations!" her eyes shot open and jaw dropped in shock._  
 _In front of her stood Saisho-sensei holding a Jounin vest just like his._

 _"You've been promoted to Jounin!" he said with the same sad smile. It took more than a moment for her brain to register what had just happened._

 _"Really?" She asked with a dumbfounded expression clearly surprised._  
 _"Yes, Ryou." The Hokage began, "I was very impressed at the Chunin Exams and at the way you have developed tackling every adversity with strength and bravery."_

 _Ryou couldn't help it, she jumped into her sensei's arms hugging him tightly. He hugged her tightly too. He was happy that the girl was actually showing more and more of her emotions._

 _"You will now be assigned more missions with a higher rank of ninja, and you will be replaced in Team Saisho by Raido Namiashi."_

* * *

This was the last string. Kakashi felt he should've been promoted first. Why was she promoted? Because she tricked some stupid girl into thinking some papers were bombs? **  
**  
"Enough. I've been waiting enough." He barked, jealousy dripping from every word.

"Eager aren't we Hatake?" she flashed him a cocky smirk.

The battle began and Kakashi wasted no time in attacking her. She was actually a little taken back by the pure look of hatred that he held in his eyes and the way he fought- he really had the intent to hurt her.

His Taijustsu was better than hers by far, but she was faster thanks to her training with Gai. So far he was wining and Ryou felt breathless. She took an opportunity to do a back handspring and when her hands were on the floor she placed some smoke bombs there. To her disadvantage Kakashi was faster than her previous opponent Hana and he kicked her straight in the jaw making her lose her balance.  
in defense Ryou kicked one of her legs managing to push him again just in time for the smoke bomb to go off.

Kakashi found himself coughing in the middle of the smoke, he attempted to focus all his senses on finding the girl, and he did. He sprinted towards where he heard she had been standing, but failed to find her. Instead he was greeted by a fist buried straight to his kidney and a knee to his face.

"Quit hiding in the smoke!" he said as another smoke bomb went off. He suddenly heard the sound of some metal clanking and just in time blocked several shuriken headed his way.

"I can't see!" some of the girls in the audience complained.

"I don't even know who to cheer for…" said Rin to Obito in a worried tone.  
"For Ryou of course!" He boasted with a broad grin.

The smoke soon cleared out and Kakashi found himself surrounded by a wide circumference of white paper.  
Ryou was having a hard time catching her breath.

"I'll only warn you once. The white papers are bombs. If I were you I wouldn't step any further." She warned him.  
"Have you ran out of new tricks? I already know this one." He scoffed.

Grabbing a kunai knife he swiftly tossed it in the middle of the paper circle and he wasn't surprised when it didn't explode.  
"I'm warning you." Ryou said bracing herself for attack.

Kakashi began sprinting and his eyes widened as the ground under him blew up. He felt the heat burn his skin.  
About a dozen bombs went off several people in the audience gasped. Even Ryou was concerned for his safety. Her eyes were knitted as she tried to see him through the smoke.

"Behind you!" She reacted just in time to dodge his kunai knife which made a shallow cut on her arm. She ducked and saw part of his clothes had burnt. She didn't want to have to pull out her knife. Instead she looked at the clone in front of her. It didn't smell like Kakashi…  
 _'A replacement,'_ she thought stabbing it straight through the chest. It poofed into a log. Ryou looked at her surroundings there was no sign of Kakashi up, left, right, unless… It was too late a pair of hands stuck from underneath and pulled her underground so only her head was showing.

"This is it!" He shouted raising up his leg high ready to kick her head. He was going to smash it like a pumpkin. Ryou closed her eyes tightly and Kakashi's foot came down. He grunted at the impact of the kick, her head was as hard as a rock. Wait-it was. Another replacement. Now he had no idea where she was and it could be dangerous.

"Hey!" he turned and saw Ryou clearly standing in the field. She held two shuriken in her hand a plastered smirk on her face.

He braced himself to attack.

"Hey!" Another one spoke from behind him.  
"Hatake!" Suddenly another one, and another one.  
"Over here!" Suddenly surrounding him where about a dozen of Ryou clones. _'Shadow clone? But that's impossible!'_ He thought with both of his dark eyes wide. Suddenly all of them started moving in different directions, interacting with each other rotating in figures.

"Ryou may not know shit about genjutsu," Asuma began with his arms crossed.  
"But using such a basic move like this with speed. It's good enough to fool anyone." He said with a smirk.

 _'He had to figure the odd one out… But there was no possible way of knowing…'_ He saw that all the clones were taunting him and they all threw the two shuriken his way. His eyes shut tightly and feeling the impact of the shuriken on his side without even looking he threw 3 knifes that way.  
Hearing the sound of a painful grunt he looked up to see the girl holding her lower abdomen where a knife had hit her.

The fight continued and the gathered crowd was on their last nerves the fight just had finish. It couldn't go on for forever, even if seemed like hours had passed.

"Kakashi… we have to stop." Ryou said panting her breathing heavy as she rested her dirty palms on her knees.

"Is that you giving up?" He retorted through ragged breaths.  
"Of course not." She growled.

She quickly clapped her hands together and began focusing chakra into her palms. She had to craft a crystal…

He took this opportunity and sprinted towards her a kunai knife on his right hand. _'Come on!_ ' Ryou thought as sweat built on her brow, her stomach was churning in anxiety. It was too late, Kakashi was too close.

In that split second he saw their relationship through hard eyes. She had always over-shadowed him, humiliated him. She laughed at him. She was responsible for everyone still whispering about him in the streets. Nobody would acknowledge him as anything else other than Sakumo Hatake's son, Konoha's White Fang's son, the shamed traitor of the Leaf village's shameful, dishonorable son.  
It would never stop as long as she overshadowed him, but it was all about to end.  
He would be number one again and nobody would stand in his way.

Out of instinct she raised both of her hands and gripped onto his shoulder's tightly in an attempt to push him away. It was then that she felt a piercing pain stab through her stomach. A cough escaped her mouth and blood slowly dripped down the edge of her bottom lip. He had stabbed her.

It was over. He looked at her pain expression through the eyes of a cold killer.

She felt the knife cut her inside in excruciating pain. She took in a deep breath and looked into his pained eyes. She had never been so close to him.  
For the first time, she saw the despair and loneliness that he had to bear with and she _almost_ felt sorry for him.

 _Just almost._

She slowly removed her palms from his shoulders and saw they were stained with blood.

"W-What?!" She flipped her palms over and saw that two sharp, light green, crystals about three inches long had grown.

He saw something in her eyes too, but he couldn't pin point what it was. It was then that he placed a hand on her shoulder for support. She saw he looked down with both of his eyes wide and pulled his hand and the knife away from her stomach.

Feeling a burning sensation on his stomach.  
He was shocked to see a massive crystal that measured about a foot in length and five inches in diameter had pierced his torso as well. Her body began shaking. She looked down and for the first time felt that massive stalagmite like crystal that had shot out from her lower torso in self defense. It had pierced her clothing and had dug itself in her opponents.

She had no words. It must've been a sight. Both of them stabbing each other violently. At least it wasn't in the back...  
The shriek became stuck in her throat. She felt the adrenaline rushing trough her veins and panic cloud her mind. There was so much blood. She looked at her hands and at him.

How had she cast that crystal? How could she control this?

Horrified screams erupted from the crow of Genin. He collapsed to his knees bringing her down with his weight. The crystal suddenly turned dull and easily broken apart into shards as both collapsed to the ground. "Gah!" She coughed more blood as she clenched onto her wound tightly. He did the same.

 _"What... What have I done?"_ He uttered weakly not meeting her eyes.  
"Kak..." She struggled to speak. Her vision was becoming blurry from the internal bleeding.

"What have I done!" He repeated.

Suddenly Asuma was on her side. He was barking out orders. Gai was getting ready to carry one of them to the hospital. Rin was doing her best to minimize the wounds. Kurenai was instructing everyone to either help or get help.

Then, everything went dark...


	10. Chapter 10

**_10  
Age: 12_**

 _Nobody cried. Nobody seemed to actually care. Life went on just like it always had in Konohagure._

 _Kakashi had managed to survive the fight with just a scratch and a couple of bruises. Other than that, he was fine. Unlike her…_

 _He stood alone in the pouring rain. The funeral had been brief. It had been momentous. All the flowers in the city had been gathered for the event. After all, it was a double funeral. Aru Noa had taken his own life upon hearing the news of his only daughter's fate. He had both lived and died in his liquor._  
 _Despite the massive influence that the city had had in the village. Kakashi stood there aloof. Even Obito hadn't shown._

 _He was now number one. Nothing standing in his way, but because of one reason or another it didn't feel fair. He had cheated his way to getting to the top. Just like his father he was scum. He couldn't earn his title like an honest man, he had succumbed to taking the life of an innocent twelve year old girl. His guilt and conscience were tormenting him to madness. He was responsible for the death of an innocent person. He was responsible for taking someone's daughter away, for killing his friend.  
What would people call him now? Friend Killer?_

 _What type of person was he? Had he no humanity in him?  
He had always lived by the rules. It was his life, his code of morals to live by- and what had it gotten him. He had felt his soul split when he killed her. Something snide him had snapped._

 _Once again he saw her bloody expression. He had killed her. He had intended to and he had done so. What had come over him that he could become infuriated enough to create such a heinous act._

 _His breathing became shallow. He felt a sinking pit forming in his stomach._

 _His fist clenched on his sides. Teeth gritting he hadn't yet noticed that his tears had blended with the pouring rain. The last thing he could remember was the blood gushing from her open wound and her ajar mouth. Those wide lemon eyes paralyzed as she starred at him in both shock and fearfulness._

 _His dark eyes focused on the picture they had used. She was wearing black, her eyes were sharp and focused and her smile was a confident._

 _"I'M SORRY!" his roar thundered throughout the village. Several nearby ravens cawed as they fled the scene. "I didn't mean for this to happen, I-" He crouched and buried his face in his hands. His elbows leaning on his knees._

 _"But you did," the familiar voice suddenly resounded in the funeral. It was grim and cold. His eyes snapped up but there was no one._  
 _"You wanted to kill me, and you did!" Then he saw it._  
 _The picture frame it was speaking to him. He saw her lips moving. Was he loosing his mind?_

 _With a menacing look in those green eyes, wild hair and a hollow complexion the picture frame became the one of a monster. Her hand stretched out of the picture and somehow the thing managed to step out of the tiny frame._

 _"You ruined me so now I will ruin you!" she croaked before cackling madly._  
 _"No, I-I'm sorry! I wish I could take it all back!" he protested._  
 _"You ruined me so now I will ruin you!" The thing repeated furiously._  
 _"No, No!"_

In a reflex he jumped to a sitting position. His heart monitor violently beeping. His breathing was ragged and he was covered in cold sweat. Instantly a nurse came rushing in. He instantly felt eh stabbing pain in his abdomen and realized by the look of his bloody hand that he had torn his stitches.

The nurse instantly began scolding him, but he was still shook from his nightmare to realize what was happening.

"Is she alive?" He interrupted. Eyes wide, hands still trembling.  
"What?" The nurse blinked twice confused.  
"Is Ryou Noa with Life?!" He barked. Eyes turning to two dark, dangerous slits.

* * *

Everything was a blur. Blinking twice and focusing in the light the dull, pale lights from the hospital greeted her. The sharp pain in her stomach jolted her awake. She reached down and clenched the wound tightly.

Ryou had never been hospitalized before this was a new experience…  
It took a couple of moments for her mind to reboot and for her to remember the circumstances why she was here in the first place.  
 _  
"First day as a Jounin and you're already causing trouble?" Spoke a smooth voice._

Surprised she pivoted her body only to see Shisui Uchiha leaning against one of the windows cooly. His eyes were sharp and focused on her. She hadn't even noticed that he was here.  
Just seeing him slightly smiling at her, being so cool made her cheeks flush and an anxious chill run up her spine.

"S-Shisui," she managed. She looked down at her bandaged body and brought the blankets higher in an attempt to hide her growing blush. _  
_"What are you doing here?"

"I just happened to be around the neighborhood," the prodigy said casually shrugging as he approached her. Suddenly from his back he pulled out a large bouquet of flowers. Almost as if it was magic. They were yellow tulips.  
With her eyes wide and her ears burning, the girl felt as if she was going to throw up. With one hand he lifted her bandaged chin so he could see her bashful expression.

"I'm all for a good spar," He leant in closer. "But next time be more careful," he whispered adding a wink and a smile. It seemed to be his trademark, most flirtatious move, and as cliché as it was, it _always_ worked.  
"I look forward to our next meeting Ryou Noa," he casually stood up and with a sly smirk and wave, he was gone.  
 _'That Shisui!'_ Ryou thought flustered hiding under her sheets.  
Did he really think that his petty attempts at flirting would have any effect on her? He didn't even know her! Well, he did, but rather shallowly.  
She hated how he made her feel, no one had ever made her feel like that before. Crushes were definitely the worst.

* * *

 _'_ _Empathy…'_

Kakashi once again opened his eyes. This time his heart was jumping at his throat. His hands were stable and so was his breathing.

He exhaled an exhausted breath and tried to relax against the stiff hospital bed. He was extremely sore, moving hurt. More than half of his body had been bandaged and thankfully his mask hadn't been removed. Knowing that he hadn't been responsible for the death of Ryou Noa brought him a newfound peace. It still didn't make the fact that he had almost killed her any better. Then again, judging from the gaping hold in his abdomen she had had the same intentions in mind.

Now he realized that in those final moments, what she had seen reflected in her thoughtful eyes wasn't feat. It was empathy. She had seen his raw emotion and now knew just how alone he really was. No one had come to visit him and it wouldn't surprise him if no one showed up. Not like he cared. He was alone because he was trash, and he would always be branded with the name of a traitor. And because of this, alone…

He ran his hand through his silver hair feeling a cocktail of emotions stirring inside him.

He never wanted to see that girl again in his life…

He had come to realize that she would be his ruin. In every single scenario he could imagine she was always one step ahead of him, overshadowing him, torturing him. Toying and pulling the strings of his emotionless heart. The creaking of the door opening suddenly caught his attention and he saw that a girl stepped in.

More like limped in. Her lower abdomen was bandaged as well as most of her body, but regardless of this she was still standing.  
 _'How can she still be standing…'_ he thought.

Once again she had beat him...

"Oi..." She she said in a quiet tone as she stepped in.

He kept his sharp eyes wary of her presence. His look was not a welcoming one, and she didn't look happy to be here either. It was serious with those narrowed, mistrusting eyes and that infamous scowl he knew she meant business.

"Doctor says it's a miracle that we didn't die from exsanguination or an air embolism. I guess we were both lucky that our teammates were there."

He said nothing remaining stoic and bitter.

"I never took you seriously when you said you wanted to kill me- But now what I want to know is _why._ Why have we been tormenting each other for years? I want to know _why_ -"

"Get out." He interrupted her without wasting a breath. He turned his body away from hers.

"Hatake. I want to know _why-_ " once again she interrupted him.  
"Get out!" This time he raised his voice.  
 _"Why_ are you like this?!" she snapped brutally. "What the hell did I ever do for you to despise me enough to kill me!" She abruptly ripped off a patch that was covering her stomach. "To do this to me!" She showed him the grisly wound that had been formed just above her belly button a nasty slit that stretched almost three inches in length.

"Get out. I don't ever want to see you again." He said coldly, avoiding her enraged eyes. He suddenly felt a heavy weight on his aching legs and groaned at the uncomfortable pain. He didn't even realize when she pounced on his bed. Shocked he turned to see the angry girl.  
"I want you to look at me! I want you to see what you did to me!" She startled him as she stood on her bed straight with both of her knees apart.

"Well I have a matching one." He stated in a grim tone as he slowly inched to the head of his bed and away from the girl. Both noticed that his heart monitor had began to pick up speed. Beeping louder and faster each time.

" _Why_?" She asked for the last time. Her eyes watering her jaw clenched, lips stretched out into a serious thin line.

"You ruined my life," he growled out through gritted teeth finally meeting her eyes.

He just wanted her to be out of his life. Or some place far, far away where their lives would never meet again. Feeling the weight become heavier he looked up and saw that she had collapsed and was actually crying. Ryou hated crying, she had come to see it as a sign of weakness. She always cried when she was at her worst and more than often it seemed to happen when he was around.

"I'm not the reason why you're all alone!" She snapped heaving. He looked at her eyes wide. "And I'm not the reason you always come second, that's your own fault-"

"SHUT UP!" He snapped and threw the closest thing he found that being a book at her. It barely brushed Ryou and hit the wall behind her with a thud. Infuriated she hopped off the bed and in a reflex the girl took the pitcher of water that was next to the bed and poured it on him soaking him wet to the bone. He sat in a chilly puddle on his bed looking at her with menacing eyes, she returned the glare.

Why did she even bother? Why did she care enough to engage in this abusive relationship? It wasn't healthy. She opened her mouth, yet no words came out. He could feel the stress of being in the same room as her weighting down on his shoulders. If he really hated her that much, if he really wanted her out of his life like that-

Without another word she simply walked out of his life.  
The room felt lighter, almost more colorful as soon as she left. Kakashi's hands clenched his wet, gray locks tightly.

 _'What the fuck is wrong with me!'_ He cringed when he accidentally ripped some strands out.

The anxiety was killing him.  
He didn't know what to think anymore, what to do, what to feel…


	11. Chapter 11

**_AN: So, I realized that I made a mistake. Petty one, but just so we are all in the same page. Accurately, Shisui is supposed to be 7 years old when the Third Shinnobi War is happening, but for the sake of the story I'm going to make him 16._**

Also I think that Kakashi and Ryou's age is off. I made them two years younger than they should be, but- just small detail. Thank you for all the views! I appreciate reviews 3

* * *

 ** _11  
_** ** _Age: 13_**

The wind howled wildly in the hot afternoon. There was not a single cloud in the sky, despite the strong breeze. One of our protagonist stood hunched over in the stinging sun. She panted and leaned her weight on her knees. Beads of sweat forming in her pulsating temple. Plenty of cuts and small slices covered her arms and legs.

"Again!" She barked with sure determination. She wasn't giving up on this so easily. Having been practicing for months, she was starting to become frustrated at the fact that she could not master this new technique.

A tall, dark haired, human across the field dropped his shoulders in concern.  
Shisui Uchiha sighed non the less complying to Ryou Noa's order. He knew how important her training was for her. It seemed like that's all she ever did now a days. Waking up at 5:00 AM to train all day long?  
She sure had an odd idea of what it meant to be out on a date.

"Not that I'm bumming on your training or anything, but you've made this an obsession of yours," He said with one hand on his waist. "You're already pretty fast Ryou."  
 _"'Pretty fast'_ doesn't cut it. I'm still not faster than Gai or you," she stretched her strained limbs. _"or him…"_ Her nails buried into the palms of her hands. If she had been faster, she wouldn't have that pink, nasty, gash on her abdomen.  
"Well, you are _pretty_ and _fast_ ," Shisui grinned mischievously.  
"Just shoot!" She swiftly tossed a knife in his direction. Without breaking a sweat he lifted his hand and caught it simply by sticking his finger in the hole.

With a flick of his wrist he aimed and tossed a shuriken in her direction. She stood her ground focusing on her chakra control. Shisui's words echoed in repeat in her head. _"Vitalize the chakra in your body and move at extreme speeds. The amount required for you move depends on the overall distance and elevation between you and your intended destination."_

 _Swish._

Just like that she had gone it.

"I did it!" she breathed exhilarated.

Her hands shot up, she stared ahead of her searching for Shisui's eyes, but only then realized that she had flickered at least five stories higher than her position. She looked down and saw him standing there in shock. He was as minuscule as an ant! "Ahhh!" She couldn't help but shout as gravity did its duty to send her plunging down bellow.  
It was almost like an old school cartoon. It was then that she suddenly felt she landed on something, yet she remained in thin air.

"Shisui!" She barely managed to say as her hair and dress garments rose up in the opposite direction. She wasted no time in clinging to his neck and pulling him close for safety. He had hoisted her up in his arms and wore a wide grin as he did. What the hell was he thinking?! Soon _both_ of them would impact the ground. In that split of a second he leaned in dangerously close and planted an innocent kiss on her lips. He pulled back just in time to see her crimson face, and astonished expression. That infamous grin made way to his face before he once again flickered to the ground.  
In that moment Ryou felt breathless. She wasn't sure if her racing heart was due to the Uchiha that was holding her or because of the adrenaline rapidly coursing through her veins. She exhaled a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding.

"Shisui!" she squeaked drawing her arms away from him and leaping off his. She had even forgotten her brief success in her mastering of Shisui's own flickering technique. "You are so infuriating!" she said half laughing half in embarrassment as she walked away from him.  
"Is that how you thank your savior?" he said sneaking up behind her and embracing her tightly.  
"Shut up, you're not even my boyfriend, savior," She continued walking in embrace.  
"But you are my girlfriend," He mused. Like always that charming smile gracing his lips.

She froze in her tracks and turned to look at him bewildered. "In another life maybe," she rolled her eyes playfully and turned away. He held onto her hand tightly making her stop, turn, and face him. She was expecting him to be joking, instead his face did not betray his seriousness.

"Maybe," she answered with a spirited chortle. "If you catch me that is!" She stuck out her tongue before running away back into the city.  
"Oh, you're making this too easy!" He chased after her.

It would only take seconds for him to catch up to his prey. He did lunging forward only for her body to flicker in a split of a second. He stopped and looked around unable of finding any sign of his girl. The edge of his lips curved up.

 _'I guess this isn't going to be as easy as I thought…'_ He thought before activating his Sharingan.

"If you thought this was going to be easy, then you probably don't know me as well as you think," he heard from the top branches. Snapping his glare up he saw the curly haired, green eyed girl playfully wink him. He made a hand sign and flickered to the top of the trees only to see her smile again before she flickered away and further away. Together, almost like a dance they flickered through the woods until neither of them could flicker no more.

Ryou Noa found herself in the middle of the park. She wondered how it was that Shisui could find her attractive looking the way she did, covered in sweat from head to toe and with her messy post training hair.  
Her feet began pacing as she approached a halt. He followed behind her.  
"Giving in so quickly?" he asked catching his breath as well.  
"Has the thought that I actually want you to catch me crossed your mind?" She coughed with both of her hands on her waist.  
"What's the fun without the chase?" He said charmingly as wrapped his arms around her and once again kissed her.

* * *

Like the tangling pattern of unfortunate situations that Kakashi Hatake and Ryou Noa's intertwined life was. It was only fate that ensure that a certain silver haired ninja would be there to witness the scene.

He had heard the rumors that Shisui the infamous Body Flicker was seeing Ryou of the prestigious Noa clan. He never actually expected to run into them chasing each other like two rabbits in spring heat.

He rolled his eyes at the sight and attempted to focus his attention back to the mystery novel he was reading in a park bench under a tree. He put all of his attention and focus in tracing the outline of every word and letter he read. Then he heard it. He heard a loud, delighted laughter echoing through the semi-empty park.

Looking up, far away, but close enough that he could clearly see both of them were walking in the middle of a pathway underneath the shade of the green summer trees. He had never heard her laugh in such a sincere way before. She must've been really happy. For a moment he wondered how it was that she had been able to get it all back. Despite her family's tragedy, and her years of angst and social isolation. Somehow, she had friends again, she had her father back who had sworn never to use alcohol, she had mastered her kekke genkai and been promoted to Jounin. And then, there was Shisui, the prodigy of the Uchiha clan. The youngest shinnobi in the entire village to become an ANBU. With a eat-shit grin, his coolness and charming personality Shisui had plenty of fan girls around the village.

However, he had chosen her, just like she had agreed to be his.

She wore an official Jounin vest. Underneath a black V-neck shirt that was long sleeved and ended just past her elbows with a gold trim. Underneath it all she wore another long sleeve fishnet shirt. Her clan's waist wrapping shawl with a thin golden string in the middle. Flowing from her vest was a long A-line skirt that was completely cut in the middle, black shorts underneath. It looked more like a long vest. Her clan sign was split in the middle. Her hair had been more femininely braided to one side into a thick, bushy braid. Her Hitai-ate in her forehead under some loose hair that now fell like bangs.

But most importantly, she wore a bright, wide, smile on her face. One that had become extremly rare and scarce.

He thought of the powerful dynasty that both of them would bring into the world. They were just oh-so _perfect_ for each other. They would bring curly haired, blood eyed demons into this world to become efficient killing machines just like them. It was then that he leant in grabbed her face and planted a cinematic kiss on her lips.

He clenched the book he held in his hands tightly. He felt his chest swell in anger.

 _Why was it that she always had everything?!_

Sure, maybe he had no intention or desire to have a significant other at the moment. He had sacrificed everything in his life, he had nothing. All he did was follow the rules by the thumb. One of the most important rules that a shinnobi must follow is not to allow emotions to conflict with the mission. That's what he had always done.  
Shut down his emotions. He bottled them up and locked them up deep in a dark place inside him where nobody could reach them, not even him, but her- there was something about him that just made him feel a stupid amount of anger and jealousy whenever she was nearby.

But perhaps he hadn't sacrificed _everything…_

He had been starring at the couple so intently that Shisui realized and snapped his head to face him. A curious look in his confused expression. She then turned too and they made eye contact. She opened her mouth and before she said anything an unfamiliar, blaring alarm resounded through the village. _Something wasn't right._

He saw both of them flicker before his eyes and vanish. Great, now she could flicker as well? Why doesn't she just become Hokage?

He obediently put his book away and reported to the Hokage's office where everyone had been gathered outside as an audience. The alarm had quit blaring already. More than half of the village was there, some faces concerned other perplexed. _They were there too_. Obito stood next to his cousin, Rin next to him as they all looked up see the Hokage step out of his balcony gracefully. The dimming light of the coming sunset projected an orange hue on the Hokage and the residents of the Leaf Village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked aged despite his relative young age. His hair was beginning to pepper into gray and the wrinkles in his face were becoming more prominent. It also looked like he hadn't been sleeping well as of lately.

Asuma, Kurenai, Gai and his teammates, amongst other classmates had gathered around to listen to the emergency meeting.

The Hokage gave a brief introduction. His closest advisors to his left. To his former students, two of the three legendary sanin: Jiraya and Orochimaru-sama.

"Because of a decline in national power, the reign of the Five Great Nations has began to crumble. Some territories want independence others don't. These prolonged conflicts have gradually spread their flames far and wide, until now, that they have reached our Leaf. It is with a heavy heart and great regret that I share the following sad news with you. We are at war. The Third Shinnobi war, has just began."

The people of the village were either mute from the shock. Others erupted in shouts of horror at the dreadful news of the coming war. Some even collapsed into loud cries of woe. A nearby mother brought a horrified hand to her mouth as she held her child close. The Five Nations had lost plenty to the Second Shinnobi War and it had been only a few years ago.

Kakashi hadn't even noticed that Rin had approached him. She stood next to him with a visible blush and a wide, sweet smile. He barely even spared her a second glance. But that peculiar smile in such a dreadful circumstance got the best of his curiosity.

"Aren't you intimidated?" He asked in regards of the current news.  
"Why should I be?" she maintained that smile and doe eyed look. "I know we'll thrive, with strong ninja like you in the village," she said batting her eyelashes.

After years of tensions with the other Five Nations the Leaf village was finally at war, and he was just as weak as ever. He allowed his eyes to drift over to the power couple who were allegorically conversing with some of the other young ninja of the village. He had already come to face the fact that he would never be able to defeat her. And him… Shisui, the Uchiha clan's prodigy, youngest to be appointed an ANBU, the "Body Flicker", with those menacing red eyes not in a thousand lives.

"I'm not even that strong…" Was all he could muster, saying more to himself than to her.  
"Just do your best!" Rin Nohara clapped her hands, looking at him with glowing eyes. It was too much for him.

Feeling the weighted down by his weaknesses and esteem he decided to stop engaging and return home.

"Oi!" Obito suddenly joined his other two teammates. "Rin, we are crashing Baka-Shisui and Ryou's date. Asuma and Kurenai are going as well," he said with a broad smile. His goggles resting on his forehead. Internally he was freaking out hoping that she would accept his informal invitation on this triple group date.  
"You should come Kakashi-san," she said zeroing all her attention on him. "It'll be a nice way to get our head out of the… present circumstances," she said slowly. Obito instantly made a face of disgust and crossed his arms over his chest in denial. "After all, we are a team, right? Obito-san?" Ouch, Team Mate-Zoned (Lol).

The young Uchiha began bickering and without another word Kakashi made a decision that would change his life. He shoved his hands into his pockets and quietly vanished in the diminishing crowd.

He returned home and packed. He cleaned out his entire fridge. Packed a few clothing items, some weapons and-  
As he tampered with some boxes in his closet a particularly dusty one caught his attention. It held few belongings that had belonged to his cowardly father. In it, he saw a dagger, _his dagger._ The White Fang's precious weapon…  
After some hesitation he decided to take it with him. He looked at the picture's of Ryou on the wall one last time. Her metamorphosis... This was goodbye.

It was dusk by the time he left his apartment for the last time. He didn't even bother locking it shut. He took his time in slowly walking the streets of the city. Taking them in one last time before his departure. He didn't know when he'd be back. He took in the way the streets smelled like barbeque, chicken ramen, dango and the mixes of foreign spices. The way the dim lantern lights glowed and illuminated the streets. He gave one last glance to the Hokage monument. The first, the second and the third…

This was goodbye.

It was then that he spotted them, coming out of the restaurant. The group of nine (Now that Gai, Ebisu and Genma had joined them) walked together laughing at probably a stupid joke that Gai had made and a snappy come back by Asuma. In less than a split second he had crawled inside of an alleyway and ducked behind a trash bin. He was sure that they hadn't seen him.  
Not a care in the world. The younglings were enjoying the one day before all of their lives would change, before each one of them became a soldier or just another toll number in a Killed In Action stone. none of them were concerned with becoming strong, with seeking power. None of them had to redeem their honor and clean their name.

He was finally at the gates of the city. He hadn't really considered what he was going to do once he left the village. Where he would go. All he knew was that he was about to begin his journey in search for power.

"We're about to close the gate-" One of the Chunnin who guard the entrance began. He wasn't even to finished speaking. He had knocked them both unconscious without breaking a sweat.

The dark night had finally come upon Konoha. A veil of darkness with a new moon hovering over the city on this particularly somber night did not aid with the tension in the air. He ventured into the darkness.

* * *

Kakashi had been walking for a while. He was in no rush. For the first time in what seemed to be forever he was alone with his thoughts. Just him and himself. Him and peace. He had began working on crafting his own jutsu. It was a Lighti-

He threw a kunai over his shoulder.

He heard a feminine yelp and retreated to face the enemy.

 _It was Rin!_

"Rin!" He approached her taken back. The brunette winced as she gripped her arm where the knife had been buried. The violet patches on her skin wrinkling with her pain.  
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." He said apathetically. Holding no remorse or emotion.

"What are you-leaving the village?" she gasped with those large chocolate eyes of hers, her voice pleading and soft like usual.  
"That's none of your business," he snapped sharply turning his body to the side. This was going to be troublesome.  
"Please, please don't go. I'll go with you, I'll do anything for you!" She sprinted towards him and held unto his sleeve tightly. He looked at her pleading watering eyes. "Please!" she begged, her grip tightening on his sleeve.

his eyes remained dark. He didn't want to be forced to doing this _the hard way_. He raised his hand. Ready to strike and knock her out when suddenly Rin's other hand caught it in a powerful grip mid air.

"Listen! You can't leave!" She growled out more sternly in a somber tone. Using her body, he did a backflip and retreated. The person did the same sliding back several feet disturbing some of the ground in the forest.

"You have to admit, I really had you for a minute," the person said in Rin's voice.

"Ryou," he simply acknowledged her. _'I should've known…'_

 __With a sharp inhale of a breath she yanked the knife out of her arm and tossed it before his feet. "What do you want?" He really wasn't in the mood for games tonight.  
"Was I not transparent enough? I want you to stay," she said in all seriousness, her lime eyes didn't betray her.

"How did you find me?"  
"You forget I have a keen sense of olfaction. You'd think the scent of trash would cover up your natural stench," she sniggered maliciously.

He groaned in annoyance. Of course, she could also _smell_ him.

"Are you a masochist or something? Leave me be. I'll be out of your hair for the rest of your perfect life." She remained silent. Of course things were going to be the hard way with her. They always were. He carefully reached for his new blade.

Without removing her eyes from his charcoal ones she took off her knife holder, her medical pouch and her jounin vest tossing it all to the ground before him. He looked at her confused.

"I'm not here to fight," she said in that same solemn tone.

He didn't falter. Pulling his blade he leapt towards her and sliced. He became even more furious when she flickered out of his vision. She did the same with every single stroke or attack that he attempted. Until finally she stopped moving. He maintained his eyes on her as his sword came to a halt. He saw that she had thoughtlessly grasped the sharp sword with her left hand. He saw her teeth grit as blood began leaking from her hand. Still, he remained unfazed, not moving.

"Please, listen to me…" she requested in a more sincere tone. "You're not thinking rationally. You are leaving in the middle of a war and to seek what? Power? To defeat who, me?"

He retreated his blade slicing her hand open.

"Gya..!" she cried out as she held on to her injured hand.  
"Why do you do this to yourself? Why do you keep coming back? Why? despite the fact that all I do is hurt you do you keep coming back?!" He barked exasperated.  
"Because that is my ninja way!" she said clenching her fist tightly.  
"It is not or differences that divide us, it is the failure to acknowledge it is our strength."

His eyes slightly widened as he unconsciously allowed his guard to shed.

"I was lost for a while, for a long time and I became very much like yourself… I thought that the isolation and the lock down of my emotions would make me stronger. Would make me a more efficient killing tool. I thought that it would help me solve my mother's murder but it didn't. I cruelly and very unfairly manipulated Obito and others into initiating a friendship with me and I learned a lot from them. They made me stronger, faster, better in their own ways. Shisui-san too… And the worst part is that I didn't even notice this because in the end I started caring about them too." She trailed off briefly.

The determined grin soon returned to her face.

"We could learn so much from each other Kakashi…" She paused for a moment.  
"You're the reason I am the person that I am today. At the Academy I was a ghost, unnoticed, untalented. All I wanted to do was write stories and pass under everyone's noses. All of the girls in the class looked up to you (I'll admit, so did I for some time), the boys in the class wanted to be you. Which was when I realized, if he can do it. So can I. Just like the others, I wanted to become like you."  
"I trained endlessly, my mother hired many private tutors. For a long time I wouldn't even sleep just train and train and train… and then I did it. Somehow, I managed to beat the class genius. And the first time I approached you, you were so infuriated. You didn't even want to come to my party," she laughed lowering her head. He suddenly noticed the small sparks that were dropping to the floor. "I don't think I need to tell you the rest, we became rivals. And as much fun as trying to destroy and surpass each other was…" he saw her wipe away the fat tears that were pooling her eyes with her one clean hand.

It was then that he noticed that despite the crying there was a smile on her face. He had never seen a person show such an expression and less towards him.

"I keep on coming back because you're such an… You're such an… You're such an asshole! You build walls around yourself so high that you feel threatened by anyone that even dares come close. I know. I do the same."

Why was it that no matter what she did he always wounded up hating himself whenever they interacted?

"Why are you telling me this?" He hesitated in asking.  
"Because I believe in you."

Both were awkward for a minute. Unsure of what to say to the other. The smile suddenly ceased. "…I'm-I'm really going to miss you!" She said as she ran past him, ducking her head like a coward. Tears spilling as she returned to the village. Almost like a dog with her tail tucked between her legs.

He remained standing in the darkness, alone. Something inside of him wouldn't allow him to take another step forward. It was almost as if something was tugging him back. After some time he finally managed it and gave a step forward, but his heart sank.  
Looking down he saw that the girl had left her Jounin vest and other equipment on the ground carelessly. He stared at it, hoping it would disappear if he starred at it intently.

 _'G fucking dammit…'_ he cursed to himself.

* * *

Ryou had decided to walk back to the village. There was no use in rushing. At this moment all she wanted to do was be alone with herself. Maybe she really was a masochists. This as her one chance to be rid of him forever. Nobody else would bother her, nobody would compete with her. As much as she disliked the idea of him remaining in her life, it was necessary. He brought an equilibrium to her life. Every sun had to have a moon just like black complimented white and hot and cold existed. With her hands hanging in defeat at her sides she dragged her feet through the woods. Until she stumbled upon something. Regaining her balance she turned to see something glimmering in the darkness. She kicked around the stick and realized it was a long katana sword.

 _'What…'_ She looked at it with her eyes wide. Despite the years of abandonment in the forest it had some rusted blood in it.  
It-It couldn't be…

Her hands shook at the revelation. The blood, it smelled just like her..

"This is Miharu's" she managed to speak in awe. She took the gold handled sword in her hands and indeed her sister's name had been engraved on the sword, and it was stained with her and her mother's blood... She couldn't believe it.

She had found the murder weapon. With a breath caught in her throat she shook her head in disbelief. This tool had been used to take her mother and perhaps her sister's life as well. She doubted that there were any fingerprints left on it, but it was definitely worth taking home. Careful not to stain the sword with her own blood. She removed her salmon, sacred clan shawl, the one that she had always worn around her waist and wrapped the weapon around it careful enough so that she may preserve whatever was left of the evidence, she tied it up with her gold string and wrapped it around her shoulder's almost like a backpack.

It was then that she heard the nearby rustling of leaves. Weaponless and with her guard down she flickered to the treetops where she would be safe. Wait- there was that familiar smell…

"Ryou," she turned to see Kakashi now standing next to her in the same thick branch. Her eyes slightly widened.  
"You forgot this," he slowly inched closer to her. He lifted his arm and wrapped her Jounin vest around her shoulder's. His hands momentary lingered on her shoulder's for a second. Something in her insides twisted anxiously, whenever he was this close someone usually got hurt. Always. Usually, either him or her. Instinctively she flinched raising her injured hand up.

She slightly cringed at the contact. He didn't say another word, it was hard to read his expression in the darkness and his mask wasn't helping.

He saw her hurt face. He had hurt her so terribly. He had been so stupid. So abusive and malicious towards her. He regretted it all.

He took her injured hand in his and opened her palm to inspect the wound.

"I'm sorry," he actually apologized. She could not believe it. "I really am," he said meeting her eyes. "For everything I have ever done to you... I promise not to hurt you anymore." He said as he wrapped the wound with a bandage from his kit.

She really wished she could see whatever expression he wore on his face, his eyes only told her so much.

He paused for a moment, and for the first time she saw kindness in him.

"Thank you, Ryou..."


	12. Chapter 12

12  
Age: 13

Kakashi observed as Rin and Obito were finally captured by Minato-sensei. They were in the middle of bell training exercise and this was the moment he had been waiting for. After being forced to not push himself for a month he had trained endlessly to make up for lost time.

This time he would surpass her, _the right way._

Those two would only be a distraction in his mission of obtaining the bells. He saw as his sensei lecture his comrades.

 _'This was his opportunity!'_

He threw a knife which Minato swiftly dodged. That's when he struck. Student and sensei engaged in combat.

"Sensei! Today is the day when I win!" He said between breaths. A new desire to triumph had been planted in him. On one hand he wielded his new sword one that in another life had belong to his trash, nothing for good, father…

The fighting continued and he saw his sensei go into the air. Minato looked down and was surprised to see about a dozen bomb notes on the floor.

 _'A trick he must have copied from the Noa girl..' Minato figured.  
_ "There!" Kakashi said and released the explosions. He was getting close. So close he even managed to touch the bells when he engaged in combat with Minato once again. "Not bad. But not enough to beat me." His sensei grinned.

"I'm not through yet." The 13 year old snapped. He disappeared with a shadow clone. Meanwhile he was sitting above a tree branch practicing his newest jutsu. His own jutsu, the chidori.  
"Kakashi, you lose." He suddenly heard from behind. He froze and his jutsu stopped.

"I'd already consider you for the Jounin class… If I hadn't set that teleportation mark on your back, there's no telling how this fight would've turned out…But you're not ready…" His sensei explained to him calmly. Kakashi grasped the leaves of the tree in his hands anger flowing through him.  
"I was so close…" He growled out in fury. He felt the frustration easily fill him, like it usually did.

It was useless.

He couldn't beat his own sensei and he couldn't beat Ryou…

He didn't want to think about You after the conversation the night they had spent up all night talking. Even if he had found a new respect for the girl, she was still getting stronger by the minute and he was still stuck. The worst part was that she was growing on him-  
His honor was still unredeemed. He still felt his chest swell in envy whenever he would see her walking in the streets with her Jounin squad. But what he hated even more was hearing what the villagers would gossip.

 _"That's the Noa girl." They would whisper. "She's the youngest person to ever become a Jounin." A man said to a woman. "Wow she must be really talented." Some would say in admiration._

 _"Rumor is that they have began calling her 'The Bloodhound.'" Another man whispered. "What a horrible nickname." A woman shrugged making a face. "They say her senses are so developed that she can find anyone or anything." The man continued in admiration. "Yeah, anyone but her sister's corpse!" the woman finished._

He ripped off the leaves and crushed them in his palm, his hand trembling. Minato analyzed the boy carefully. "So close, huh…" was the only thing he could utter... _'At least sensei is acknowledging me…'_ He thought in an attempt to appease his raging mind. At least the urge to abandon the village had ceased.

Kakashi's life was remained stuck in the same place. He felt he hadn't made much progress in his training due to the former injury he had suffered. In his abdomen right in the middle a deep scar had formed as a grim reminder of the events that had transpired that fateful day. He was confident in his own strength against any of his peers, or even that of others more experienced than him.

He was convinced that next time he wouldn't lose…

A couple of weeks later Kakashi tried again and he succeeded. He was under the impression that Minato wasn't even trying anymore, and only looked at him with sad eyes.

He had finally been appointed Jounin and was actually leading his own team mission in Kusagakure, or the Hidden Grass Village. The mission was simple. Infiltrate the territory and destroy the Kannabi bridge so supplies wouldn't get through to the enemy. Minato-sensei would be causing a diversion in the battle frontier. This war was really starting to take a toll on the village.

It had been a while since they had parted ways with Minato-sensei They had been scouting most of the day passing several tall bamboo trees. They were presently walking over a small lake in the guidance of Kakashi. Meanwhile in a close where about. Konoha's young Bloodhound hid some sacred mission scrolls in her backpack. She was sneaking behind the enemy boundary and had even bothered in putting a trap on the bag so whoever dared open it would get a rather nasty surprise. She was currently running for her life, flickering in and out of the vision of her two attackers. It was a two-man mission and her other teammate had stalled creating a diversion for her to escape with the information. "No matter what don't come back! I'll return to Konoha safe! I promise." He had grinned at her. Without a second thought she had ran for her life. Part of her wondered if he was even alive...  
 _She was getti_ ng tired of running when she finally reached a small clearing near a lake and collapsed to her knees panting. She was sure that the enemy was miles away as she caught a quick breather. When suddenly she sensed a movement. She only had chance to quickly duck before her eyes met with a pair of onyx dark ones. What were the fucking odds… Kakashi looked down at the girl crawling around in the dirt.

It had been some time ago, but she really didn't want to see the silver haired ninja. Their previous interaction had been- weird.. _._

Over time her face hadn't changed much just had grown from round to more oval. Her bottom lashes were still as prominent as ever and so was the beauty mark on her cheek bone. At the sight of the him she felt her heart jump to her treat She had to keep her cool."Move!" she said walking past him.

 _'That's all she's got to say to me…?'_ Kakashi thought confused. he thought they had moved on past their own differences.

He still observed the girl as she rushed to Obito and Rin. "Ryou! You're all covered in bruises!" Rin said alarmed. Both of her eyebrows turned up in concern.  
"There's no time! We need to get out of here! They're coming!" she said in a rushed matter. Her eyes darting over her shoulder.  
"Who?" Obito questioned.  
"I'll explain in the way." She said her breathing heavy.  
"Nobody is going anywhere unless I say so." Kakashi snapped.

Suddenly Ryou froze in her spot. It was too late. "

They're here…" She said falling to her knees again.

Suddenly from the air came about 20 wooden logs, in a quick reflex Obito performed a fire ball jutsu and quickly set them all in flames collapsing.

"Where are they?" Obito said looking around for the enemy.

"Be careful. They have the ability to camouflage and turn invisible." Ryou warned them while she still crouched on the surface of the lakey water. She was absolutely exhausted after lacking sleep for 3 days and running around without stopping it was a miracle she was still standing. Suddenly an enemy appeared. Kakashi and Obito stepped forward ready to attack.

"AHH!" a girlish shrill caught the attention of the three ninja. They all snapped their heads to see one of the ninja carry Rin. And in a poof the enemy had disappeared.

Shit!" Obito shouted a blood curling scream and immediately began sprinting after them.

 _'Fuck a hostage situation... this could not be good'_

"Obito! Don't go after them!" Kakashi shouted back.  
"What? Do you realize what you just said?!" Obito snapped back his eyes had turned into dangerous, angry slits.  
"We'll continue the mission without Rin…" Kakashi said in a quiet tone.  
"And Rin? What about Rin?" Obito glared at him.

"Rin comes later. The enemy wants to find out what we're up to, and are using her as a bait to draw Ryou to them." Kakashi explained.  
"They won't kill her right away anyway… Not until she gives them information or the Bloodhound appears." He narrowed his eyes at Ryou who had just taken a soldier pill and was beginning to bandage her wounds.

 _'What a mess I walked into…' she thought bitterly._

 _Like always, every single time she was with him something bad was doomed to happen._

"Right now saving Rin is priority over the mission!" Obito shouted.  
"A shinnobi must sacrifice a comrade in order to finish the mission. That is the rule. If we fail this mission the war will be prolonged and many more lives will be sacrificed." Kakashi recited by heart. _  
"That's just an assumption you're willing to sacrifice a comrade who's been through life and death with you?!" Obito was absolutely ballistic.  
"Rin has saved us plenty of times and now you turn your back?" He continued._

Kakashi was quiet for a moment before replying. Ryou watched attentively her eyes wide as they darted back and forth between the arguing teammates

. She knew of Obito's puppy crush on Rin, but something about his reaction made her think it was more than a simple infatuation. She briefly wondered if she would do the same for Shisui, or if he would do the same for her...

"That was Rin's duty." The gray haired ninja uttered and Obito's fist made an impact on his face, knocking him to the ground.

"I don't like you at all!" he shouted. Kakashi stood up and began dusting himself off irked.

 _'Welcome to the club,' the other ninja would've said if the situation wasn't so grim.  
_ "I don't care. I'm the captain. You will obey me." He sneered growing more and more overwhelmed as time passed.

Ryou began approaching the scene cautiously.

"Then why won't you try to save Rin." Obito practically begged him.  
"This is why our code of conduct forbids any emotional feelings. You should know that." He looked at Ryou's eyes which were wide and starring at him as in disbelief.

She felt foolish after thinking that he had changed. That he had become more human. But regardless of the situation, he was right. He felt his heart freeze and skip a beat. "Emotions are useless." He uttered bitterly. Obito held that same look of disbelief in his eyes. Noa remained silent. She wasn't sure how to weight in, in the argument.

Kakashi looked away not wanting to meet her eyes.

"So you seriously believe that…" Obito said.

Kakashi looked away again and thought of his father. He was lead by emotions and look where it got him... Maybe he should've left the village.

"Yeah… I do…" he said quietly looking away.  
"There are limits to what a ninja can do on his own..." She finally spoke breathing the awkward silence and the tension between the arguing teammates.

She began and gave a step towards Obito. "Ryou, I'm weak. I can't save Rin. You're strong. Please come with me." He said reaching for her hand. Begging her. Ryou placed a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes as deeply as she could.

"Obito... Do you think Rin would like to be rescued?" she said in the most calming tone she could muster with a serious expression.  
Obito was already in ruins, he now felt his stomach drop. His mouth felt dry.  
"We all have to finish our mission. What happened to Rin is a tragedy. I shouldn't have stumbled upon-"

He briskly shoved her off away from him. He pushed her so hard with so much anger that she collapsed to the ground in front of Kakashi's feet. Obito knew that she was aware of his feelings for her. He didn't understand why she was being like this.

"You're taking _his_ side? This is technically all your fault!" he roared pointing a finger at her. His words were like knives stabbing into her. Despite this, she maintained her glare focused on him.

The leader of the team leant down and helped the girl to her feet. She didn't dare meet his eyes. It was an unfortunate situation, but he was wrong.

"I'm not taking anyone's sides. Think logically! Is Rin's life really worth more than everyone's lives. Than our lives?" Her burst of courage was short-lived before she was also knocked back on her face. She stumbled back holding on to her jaw tightly.

"She would go back for you! In a heartbeat!" he protested.

"I wouldn't need her to come back for me," she wiped the blood that was leaking out of the edge of her bottom lip. "I will be accompanying Kakashi," she said standing tall next to him. He attempted to keep his breathing still, to rationalize the situation. The Uchiha only felt his rage bubbling inside of him.

"Forget it." He hissed "I'm going to rescue Rin, even if it's by myself and I die trying." Obito said in a determinant tone. "You don't understand anything! Not about what happens if you break the rules." Kakashi warned him. Obito suddenly stopped walking. "I believe the White Fang was a true hero! Sure in the world of ninja those who break the rules and regulations are regarded as scum… But… those who abandon their comrades… are worse than scum. I'm goanna be trash anyway, so I choose to break the rules. And if that doesn't make me a true ninja. I'll crush what being a "ninja" is…"

"Obito!" You called to him, regardless worried about her actually came to a halt. "And you- I have no words for you. I can't label you as trash or scum, _such a degrading word doesn't exist... Traitor!"_ He snapped turning to glare at her one last time. What You and Kakashi saw chilled them to the bone. His eyes were crimson red, the color of fresh blood. He had developed the Sharingan.

Ryou stood frozen in her spot. It took her a moment to compose herself. She turned to face Hatake who was looking at her with a baffled expression. "I'm fine," she asked with a masked hard face. Lips and eyes showing only darkness. No emotion.

"Let's go." He said quietly and bounced off. Both ninja began scouting the perimeter approaching the destination to the Kanabi bridge. It had been sometime since they had left Obito and Kakashi hadn't said anything he was still dead quiet and Ryou maintained her hard eyes focused on the front. Time was their principal element and she had to make it count.

 _"Traitor!"_ Obito's harsh words echoed through her head.

"It's suicide." she suddenly stated halting in her tracks. "He knows he's not making it back alive, yet he still went for her..."

He saw her eyes, they looked lost.

"You did the right thing," he acknowledged. "Did we?" She looked at him, her brows twisted in concern.

He didn't want to think about it, but he remembered that night they spent together.

* * *

 _The day she had convinced him to return to the village... That same day they had both lost track of time. Both choose to stay sitting in that tree and simply converse. They had talked all night through One could almost considered it a heart-warming moment. It was probably the first real human interaction that Kakashi had ever had._  
 _He almost found himself smiling at the Jounin next to him._

 _Both saw the sunset together that way as they leaned back on the thick branch. They had walked about books, missions, team mates, training, food... Basically anything you would discuss with a friend. Was that what their chaotic relationship was evolving into? A friendship?_

 _For once he relaxed his body and leaned back, awkwardly enough he noticed that his hand brushed hers. "Sorry," he mumbled embarrassed looking away._  
 _It's not like she could see his pink face, thank heavens for his mask._  
 _She didn't say anything, simply kept her eyes fixed on the sun rise before them._

 _"I better go," she said some times after that._

 _She knew it had been a harmless night. Nothing particularly strange had happened. But something in her churning gut made her uneasy about telling Shisui, her new boyfriend._

* * *

He had a hard time keeping his eyes on her as she flickered from tree, to tree. One way or the other both had decided it was probably for the best to return. Each had their own powerful reasons.

Ryou rushed through the branches as quickly as she could. She had pressed the hand she had touched Obito with to her nose, but the smell was too faint. She wasn't going to be able to track him. She suddenly came to a halt. Bending over her knees in desperation.

"I-I can't find him," she said with both of her eyes wide. He stood next to her bending to eye level. His brain working out an idea, ticking. Suddenly he thought of something. "Here!" He said pulling the "medical kit" that Rin had gifted to him earlier in the day. "Genius!" She exclaimed gripping on to his forearm giving him a light squeeze. A confident smile made way to her face.

"Alright then, there's no time to waste!"

Meanwhile Obito stood outside of the hideout. "Here I go!" He said adjusting his goggles.  
"Go where?" Just as he turned he saw the enemy stone ninja hiding behind him ready to attack. Obito didn't move in time. There was so much blood…

Kakashi had come from what seemed like out of the sky and had struck the ninja down with his blade. "K-Kakashi… How come you're…?!" Obito was in shock. "Well, I can't leave this up to a crybaby ninja like you, can I?" he retorted in a smart ass tone. Suddenly Ryou landed next to Obito from the top of the trees.  
"He was so excited to get here. You should've seen him." She flashed Obito a weak smile. Kakashi turned and glared at her in annoyance, he shook his head quickly and turned to face the enemy.

"How?" Obito said, more to himself. "There's no time for that," Kakashi interrupted as he twirled a kana knife on his finger.  
"He's disappeared again. And his smell is gone. We need to track him by the slightest sound and movement." Kakashi said snapping the Chunin and the Jounin out of they're conversation.  
"W-Where is he?" Obito said eyeing the terrain. Suddenly Ryou heard him, she began turning to face the nin behind her and pulled out the blade she raised it to strike up, while the villain was below.  
"Ryou! Move!" She suddenly felt her body being shoved out of the way.  
"My eye…!" She heard a sharp grunt and saw Kakashi fall to the floor. She felt a knot tie on her throat.

"Kakashi!" Obito exclaimed.

Ryou reached to him and raised his head. He held onto his eyes in pain painful groans "Kakashi are you alright?" Obito said turning to face his teammate. Kakashi sat up and held his hand to his eye, blood seeping through his hand. "our enemy… He's good…" was all he said.

And all of this for Rin. Of course. Although Ryou had abandoned her own teammate in enemy territory. She has no idea where he was and well technically she had had his consent to leave. But Rin. The thought of her bright smile came to her face. She was probably the kindest person in the village. If anyone deserved to be saved it was her.

Ryou sat back in a meditating position both of her eyes closed.

"He's still here." She concluded. "He's smart. He threw away the kunai knife stained with the smell of my blood." Kakashi noted. Blocking them out of her mind. The kunaichi sat focusing most of her chakra on her senses. This villain was smart, and was able to camouflage his smell along with his appearance. The only way to get him would be by either feeling him or hearing him, both her two worse senses. Obito suddenly saw Ryou's head flinch in a certain direction. Her eyes snapped open, and without hesitation he trust his kunai forward. He could see the enemy. Well atleast his chakra.  
"Die!" he shouted. "Wh-What is… that eye…?" The villain asked fear in his trembling voice. Both of his eyes were wide as he slowly died.  
"This time… I'll protect my comrades!" Obito announced, clenching his fist in determination.

This wasn't the same Obito from before. Something inside of him had broken. Something gave You the idea that he no longer needed protection. _Not with those eyes anyways..._

Suddenly Kakashi collapsed again holding onto his aching eye. "Looks like I lost my eye…" he said. They took a moment to patch it up with the medical kit Rin had given him before heading to save the girl _._

"Are you sure she's around here?" Obito asked Ryou. Kakashi had never seen him to serious about anything in his life. "My nose doesn't lie, she inside of that cave-" she wasn't even finished speaking when the Uchicha leapt from the trees and sprinted inside. Ryou and Kakashi exchanged a look before following him in.

Once again, Ryou asked herself that question: Would Shisui go back for her?  
She really had no idea what the answer was. _Or if she would go back for him..._

Soon the three young ninja appeared inside of the cave where Rin was being held captive.

"Patetic…" The tormenting villain growled out.

Ryou stepped forward, "I'm here. Now what do you want?" She snapped.

"You know what I want girl." The Rock ninja hissed. With haste she suddenly threw her backpack with the scrolls up in the air, the ninja stretched out his hand to reach for it , it took him a moment to realize that the three of them attacked from below. In only moments they took him out. Kakashi snapped Rin out of the Genjutsu and they were ready to head out.

"I see…" the Rock ninja suddenly stood up. "You three made a good team, but you're still just kids." He chuckled barely being able to move. "Right now you're in enemy hands."

"Earth style: Rock Breaker!" he casted the jutsu, and soon the cave began collapsing.

"This is bad!" Ryou shouted already making a way for the exit. "Run for the exit!" Kakashi shouted as he began sprinting.

On the way out an unfaithful rock hit Ryou in the back of the head making her collapse. "Ryou!" Rin shouted looking back her mouth ajar, eyes fearful. Nonetheless, her body kept moving. Feeling only a numbing pain in the back of her neck she was seeing doubles. She closed her eyes for a second. If she was to welcome death, it would be like an old friend. Peacefuly. Maybe if she hadn't gone without sleep for the past three days, just maybe she would've been more careful. More alert. She would've survived.

Feeling a hissing pain her body was suddenly hoisted up. Her mind couldn't process why he had come back for her. Why Kakashi Hatake, out of all people was crouching at her side in the middle of a deathly rock slide. Looking at his single eye, behind him she saw the massive stones that were hovering above them. _What an idiot._

Now they would both certainly die-

Neither of them saw the collision coming. From the side Obito violently shover them out of the way with the last strength he had in his body. "Nooo!" A shrill shriek echoed the open field. Ryou and Kakashi both dodged the massive rock. He looked at her as she regained her consciousness, 'That was close...' He thought relieved.

Dust rose blinded mist of grey and dull hues as the final and largest rock had collapsed. The rock slide was over.

"Kakashi!" Rin shouted worried for her life from somewhere in the field. The female Jounin was barely regaining her vision and consciousness. _Why was Obito nowhere to be found?  
_ The familiar stench of iron... blood, suddenly greeted her nostrils. No...  
she sprinted to the source and before the mist cleared up she began removing and tossing rocks away digging into the massive geological formation.

The fog had suddenly cleared.

Ryou removed two last rocks in a hurry before part of his body was revealed. There he lay. Half alive, half not.

Half of his body crushed under the mammoth rock...


	13. Chapter 13

**13**  
 **Age: 13**

The destruction of Kanabi bridge had been successful. Team Minato had returned to Konoha one man less. This move, however, despite the sacrifice was crucial for Konohagure's victory during the Third Shinnobi War.

On the way back from the mission Ryou actually found her teammate and they returned the sacred scroll, enemy war plans to the village.  
Presently the team was solemnly standing at Obito's funeral service in the Uchiha compound. Ryou stood next to Shisui who held an arm wrapped around his girlfriend's shoulders. The girl couldn't help but burry her face on the older boy's shoulder. Her eyes remaining peeled. He rubbed her arm in a tender matter in an attempt to ease her mourning pain. Ryou didn't feel like it was right to cry. There was something about the situation that prevented her from doing so. Perhaps it was the fact that the last things he had said to her had been awful. He had called her a traitor. She had betrayed him, his confidence, his faith. Who would've thought that a friendship that was born out of her selfishness could affect her so much.  
He had said that the insulting word for her did not exist yet, and that was after calling Kakashi both trash and scum.  
Then there were those haunting red eyes...

Even if her relationship with Obito had began out of her own self interest- so much had blossomed out of it. He had become almost like her brother, he was the one that had been there when they told her the news about her family. He had trained with her countless of days, even hung out with her and Shisui…  
Shisui seemed to be able to read her mind. "It's not your fault." He whispered discreetly. "It was an accident."

He repeated and placed an innocent kiss on the top of her head. If she hadn't shown. If fate hadn't made them stumble upon each other, maybe he would still be alive, and maybe- because of his heroic nature. Rin would finally be with him...

The scene replayed over and over again in her head. If they had left Kakashi behind. If she had been faster and more aware-  
He had used every single muscle in his body to save them. Her eyes flickered over to the silver haired ninja who was also at the service. She passed the lump in her throat still not being able to swallow the idea that he had actually returned for her.

 _She still asked herself that dreadful question: Would Shisui return for her? And would she return for him?_

 _'It's my fault…'_ Another person was tormented with equally haunting thoughts. From the other side of the crowd. Kakashi watched Ryou and Shisui with peculiar interest and guilt. Her broken expression and empty eyes- In the past he would've cherished it even enjoyed seeing her in this state, but now… It tore him apart.  
Rin was also at the funeral, but she wasn't crying, and for a moment Ryou flickered her eyes to her brown ones and cursed her. She deduced that if Rin had actually been stronger and able to take are of herself this entire situation could have been avoided. Rin feeling the ice cold glare, flinched looking away sadly. She held on to one of her arms looking down at the gray gravel sadly.

Ryou still glared at her shamelessly, and she briefly remembered some of her words after Obito had been crushed and Ryou had very emotionally blabbered that Obito loved her.

"I'm sorry Ryou…" she had looked away and turned to face Kakashi.  
"Kakashi, you must know my feelings for _you_!"

 _'What the fuck…'_ had been her first thought. Both had turned to look at her. Oh, she actually said that out loud.

 _'HIM?! She choose HIM over Obito?!'_ she was aghast.

Before she used to esteem Rin as a sweet girl. She was very nice, charming, very caring of others, but now- just the thought of her made her blood boil.

The service ended rather quickly since there was no body to bury, still the only thing Obito would have left as his mark on this Earth was his name carved in a Killed In Action stone. Ironic how his name would remain in a stone when he had been crushed by one.

The image replayed in her mind again. The feeling. Her inability to breath or properly see or think in that moment. Ryou returned home with Shisui that day to help him babysit for one of his younger cousins, since all of the Uchiha adults would be gathering to help Obito's parents with their mourning in the private of their home. Ryou was sitting in the sofa in Shisui's living room wearing her dark dress. She was rubbing her temples all this was still way too hard on her…

"Hey, Itachi." She said to the 6 year old boy who looked almost in pain.

"Come here." She said. The small boy walked over to her and observed her with his dark eyes. For a brief moment Ryou's imagination flickered to Obito's eyes. She shook her head. She knew this kid was smart, for his age he already knew what was going on and perfectly understood the situation of the war.

"Wanna be useful?" She asked.

He nodded his small head "Massage my feet." she said in a teasing tone with a small smirk spreading on her face.

She raised up her feet near the child's height.

"You're disgusting," He said flatly protesting.

Ryou chuckled and stood up messing with his short dark hair. She headed to the kitchen and started setting up the table.

 _'Shisui should be back soon with the take-out…'_ she thought.

"Oi Ryou," she felt Itachi tug the edge of her dress. She looked down at the boy with curiosity. "Can you get me some dango?" he asked.  
"Ha! No. That's disgusting." She mocked him. (Even though she liked dango.) Itachi frowned and shook his head. "You're mean!"

Ryou got something from the counter and kneeled so she was at the eye level of the child, "You're a smart kid Itachi, I can tell."

She said with a small smile, and put a dango stick in the child's smaller hands.

"I know you won't tell Shisui about our little secret right?" She winked another habit she had picked up from the esteemed 'Body Flicker Shinnobi.'  
"Dessert? Right before lunch. Ryou!" The girl snapped her body back into a straight position when she heard her boyfriend walk into the kitchen. She looked at him and noticed he had a dango stick half hanging out of his mouth.  
"Great minds? Think alike right?" He said with a grin.

She answered with a sad smile. It was nice to know that despite the grim circumstances Shisui's spirit wasn't crushed... Unlike hers.

* * *

Ever since Obit's death You had began to see life differently. I mean how could she not? This was probably the first time she came closest to death.  
I mean sure there had been that fighting incident, but she was in the village. There was a medical ninja present. It wasn't the end of the world, but this-

The image replayed in her head non-stop. She could still remember every detail of the incident.

* * *

 _The pain that came with that rock accidentally struck her in the nape of her neck. How her face dramatically slapped against the ground. Her perfect vision, compromised into seeing doubles of distorted images. The feeling of being lifted. Turning and seeing him. One hard eye starring at her the other bloody and useless. Then the massive rock that came colliding towards them. She barely even saw Obito shove them both of the way. Both of them tumbled away into the dirt, and just like that he was gone..._

 _"Shit!" She remembered Kakashi shaking as he attempted to pointlessly lift the rock off him with all of his strenght. "No, no, no!" She punched the boulder in a feeble attempt of destroying it. Only crumbs of the massive piece collapsed.  
Rin simply stood back aghast. The least she could do was show some damn emotion._

 _"That's enough... It's ok..." Obito had said. "It looks like it's over for me..."  
"The right side of my body is almost smashed... There's no feeling in it..."_

 _Blood continued oozing from his mouth as he spoke in a raspy voice. It was a miracle he could still speak._

 _"Why did you do it?!" The Noa girl shrieked outraged. Her vision still somewhat crossed. She leaned on the rock both emotionally and physically exhausted._

 _"What will Konohagure do without two of its best ninja?" he chuckled._

 _In his last moments, as his dying act, he decided to gift Kakashi his Shaingan eye. It had been a noble deed indeed..._

* * *

She felt an uneasy chill run up her spine as she shook back to reality. Sitting in her desk, taping her pencil she decided to make a list of things that she wanted to do before she died. She had been working on this list since she was a only a child.

1) Defeating Genjutsus:  
It seemed like an impossibility. No matter how many times Shisui had tried to get her to master them or teach her how to get out of them. It was absolutely impossible for the girl. The best way to just endure them and tr not fall into them.

2) Create Personal Jutsu:  
She had successfully began creating chakra crystals and was now working on developing her own personal jutsu.

3) Suspects:  
She now had to find potential enemies who could've killed her mother and sister.

4) Murder Weapon:  
She had found what she assumed was the murder weapon of her family's death. She would have to further analyze it.

5) Solve Crime:  
Find whoever is guilty and take them out.

Since her lonesome guilt was beginning to drive her over the edge she decided to keep herself busy most of the time, just so she wouldn't have time to think about him.

She began keeping a diary.

Whenever Shisui was busy, she would spend time with some of her father or friendly acquaintances who had nothing to do with the incident. Ryou couldn't even look at Rin straight in the eye. If she saw her again... Who knows what would happen, and Kakashi was just- completely out of the question. Things were always awkward between them for some reason- she guessed it was just too much tension from all the history they both shared.

Instead she would indulge in the following activities:  
\- Intense workouts with Gai,  
\- SPA days with Kurenai  
\- Tea time with Kurenai and Asuma or sometimes just Asuma.

They were the perfect distraction, and it was nice to see and be able to hang out with Kurenai again, since the two had been good friends in their youths. Lately, however she had been pestering her in an attempt to get her to communicate with Rin again.

And when none of the above were available she found comfort in volunteering at the children's orphanage. The kids were silly and a handful to manage which made it impossible to even consider taking a moment to think.

Several weeks had passed since Obito's death. Almost months and she still hadn't gone to visit his grave yet. Part of the reason why she had never visited her mother's grave was well because- she didn't have closure, and she would not visit until she had killed whoever it was had ended her life. But visiting _his_ grave? What would she say to him?

 _"It was my fault."_

She shook her head and decided to scavenge her dad's files and to dig in her memory for possible murder suspects.

As she was digging through the files she found an interesting name: Hanzo Hoseki.

* * *

In another room in Konohagure, Kakashi starred at the newest addition to his wall. It was now the 4th picture and a sad one. There had been a picture of Obito's service in the newspaper and somewhere in the background Ryou came out. It was a small picture, but it was good enough to go in his interesting wall. Her expression was sad and her eyes were dark just like her dress. Even if it had been years since he started his collection on the wall, he just couldn't bring himself to take it down. He didn't know what was holding him back, but there was something that made him stop every time he even attempted to tear down a single picture, and something that captivated his whenever he accidentally glanced at it.  
Something that made him go back for her before she was crushed to death. He recognized he could've died as well, but was stupid enough to go back. Maybe if that had happened, maybe Obito would still be alive and he wouldn't be starring at her pictures. Then again, maybe he would be the one dead under that rock if that had happened.

It almost reminded him off the one Obito had for Rin in his room. Then again, Obito would kiss the pictures and do weird things to them. Kakashi kept them more for… _motivation?_ Was what he told himself.  
Ryou was a good kunoichi. One of the best, if not the best in his age range. She was so good as much as he hated to admit it she was almost better than him. He remembered how despite it all when they were in the mushroom forest in Kusagakure she was still willing to believe in him. Despite all the awful things he had said and done to her… in a lifetime.

He looked down at his wooden floor feeling almost despair. His cold heart twisting in his chest. As much as he had been lying and denying some facts to himself he had to come to terms with them. No matter how dreadful and heartless reality trully was...

* * *

Ryou had a list of several men she would like to investigate and maybe even kill. The main one on her list:

\- Hanzo Hoseki, one of her father's best costumers. A man from a nearby metropolis. Excellent, life long costumer whose shopping had suddenly ceased on faithful day. There was just something odd about this man... The amount that he paid her father. It was out of this world, he might as well have been paying for her house!

However, at her tender age and with her Jounin rank- there was no way she would be allowed to leave the village to hunt her bounty. She had to find a way to get in there and she felt she had figured it out. She was on her way to the Hokage's office. She made way with long strides and a serious expression, she decided to take the park route since it was one of her favorites.

"Ryou! Wait!" She froze. That voice.

She turned to see Rin approaching her. Her mood instantly became sour.

"Yes?" she said in an icy tone. Building a facade. Both her hands gave away her emotions as she tightly clenched her fists.

"Are you avoiding me?" She said meekly.  
"What gave you that idea?" Ryou said in the same stoic voice as she began walking away.  
"Wait!" Rin repeated and this time stood in front of the girl who kept her eyes narrowed and an expression of disgust.  
"Y-You can be so cold sometimes." She said her eyes watering.  
"I know how you're feeling, and I feel the guilt of it too, but ignoring me and Kakashi won't make it go away. Obito's death was... something we couldn't help and it's in times like this when we need to stick together."

Rin said sweetly reaching for Ryou's hand. The green eyed girl instead pulled her hand back and glared at the girl with a pair of angry eyes.

"Couldn't be helped?" She repeated her teeth gritting. "Yes- maybe if I hadn't lead those villains into your direction it wouldn't have happened. Maybe if Kakashi had decided to go save you sooner it wouldn't have happened, but ultimately if you had known how to fight- how to defend yourself and escape this could have been avoided completely! If you weren't so feeble and worthless and actually knew _one single_ fighting move- Obito would still be alive!" Ryou shouted her stomach churning in anger, her heart pounding.

Rin looked at her with both of her eyes wide, rivers of tears sprawling down from them. For a moment Ryou wondered if she should apologize, but quickly changed her mind.

"Oh, but yeah- You don't care about that. Because you only have feelings for _Hatake_." Ryou began walking.  
"T-That's not true." Rin protested with a shaky voice between some escaping sobs.

This time Ryou turned around completely and locked eyes with her. Her eyes showed no mercy and gleamed with apathy.

"We _both_ know it's true."

She turned around again and continued walking pretending as if nothing had happened, "Also- I never want to see you again," She added in a hushed tone.

Some time later Ryou finally made it to the Hokage's office, and as she waited to step in she now felt haunted by what she had told Rin. _"feeble and worthless."_  
Her cold words echoed in her empty head. She had been ruthless, but it was, was she felt was the truth that had to be said. Rin was lucky that Ryou didn't slam her in the face, or worse stabbed her with a crystal. She was finally allowed into the Hokage's office. Hiruzen greeted her shortly and rather rudely. She didn't blame him handling a war was hard. She wasn't in the best of moods either.

"Sandaime-sama," she said kneeling before him. He briefly glanced at the young girl, confused as to why she was kneeling. She took in a deep breath before saying it, but her decision was made.

"You have my complete loyalty, I want to serve you, as an... ANBU."

* * *

Life moves by pretty quickly, if you look away for one second. You might miss it.  
Some days had passed by and one of our protagonist was standing outside of the graveyard. Shisui stood next to her, hand in her shoulder.

"Are you sure, you're alright going alone?" he asked concerned.

She nodded in certainty holding a bouquet of flowers close to her chest.

"I just... I've already visited," he explained. "It's just, it's hard," he somewhat managed to express himself. "It's O.K.," she took her hand in his and gave him a gentle squeeze, a sad smile wearing on her features.  
"This is something I have to do alone." She said taking in a deep breath.  
Shisui removed his hand and got ready to leave. "Remember, it is not your fault," was the last thing he said before leaving.

Everything had been so overbearing lately... Rin confronting her, Kurenai being on her ass about it, and sabotaging Asuma and guy just like a couple of years ago... But right now she had a bigger fish to catch, the investigation on Hanzo Hoseki.

After her fight with Rin, Kurenai had approached her with an unbelievable expression.

"Ryou! Is it true that you said such things to Rin? The girl is an inconsolable mess! I just-I can't believe it!" She had ranted.

Not feeling like arguing, Ryou had simply walked away without saying anything else. She was a Jounin for Kami's sake. She had more important things to do than apologize to that stupid girl for _"hurting her feelings,"_ she thought in a mocking baby voice.

And just like that, just like a couple of years ago. She was completely alone. Her father was on and off on business like always. Kurenai, wouldn't speak to her and wouldn't let Asuma talk to her. Gai was around sometimes, and well Shisui was always there for her. But he was also really busy with his own missions and clan duties most of the time… Despite being a clan prodigy, Shisui wasn't esteemed like most of the other Uchiha. Instead of joining the police force like most of them were destined to do, he went ANBU. He betrayed their cult.

Approaching Kakashi was absolutely out of question. Stepping in, she walked over to his stone and placed the bouquet with crimson red camellia flowers on his grave.

"Why did you do this?" She began. "Why couldn't you think of yourself instead of that wicked- ugh- for once?!"

Of course, there was no response.

"I feel stupid talking to a rock. I mean your body isn't even underneath this dull tomb, but reading it brings comfort to some people. I guess..." She wasn't sure how else to continue.  
"When I die, I want to donate my organs to people so someone will use them, but dad says that's unpractical because people will be popping random crystals out of their body parts." She couldn't help, but laugh a little.  
"That's ridiculous right?"

She suddenly felt a familiar presence next to her and turned to see Kakashi standing next to her holding a bouquet of pink roses in his hands.

"Tsubaki flowers?"

He casually commented on the red camellia flowers Ryou had placed on Obito's grave. "In _Hanakotoba,_ the language of flowers, in our country the red camellia represents love. Samurai in ancient times saw it as a bad omen being as it collapses and dies all at once, not in parts like the sakura flowers or others… The western meaning of it symbolizes excellence. I felt it was suiting, and that Obito might like it."  
Ryou explained.

Kakashi was impressed he didn't know Ryou fancied flowers that much.

"How do you know so much about them?" "My mother really liked them, she would buy a different bouquet to decorate the house every week, and she'd tell me the stories about them." She said with a small smile.

He briefly remembered her mother. An elegant woman with caring eyes, it was said that she had been a skilled tracker back in her day.

"What do these mean?" He said in an attempt to start a conversation and ease the ever growing tension between them.

She finally turned to face him avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Pink roses, are a symbol of happiness and trust. And the western meaning is one of love, gratitude or appreciation. Whoever helped you at the flower shop must've thought they were for a girl." Was all she said.

He remained quiet for a moment. The tension remained thick, there was no way of casually brushing off that both of them were standing in front of their dead friend's grave, and odds are both of them were just as guilty for causing his dead.

"I better go." She said in a hurried tone.  
"Ryou," He reached for her hand firmly. She was surprised when he held it.  
"Wait." He didn't know how to begin, she squeezed his fingers hoping he would let go. When she was young she had admired him, then she had hated him, feared him, and now- now that they had made _peace_ there was just something _off_ about him that always made her want to stay away. Maybe it was the way she could see herself reflected in her dark eye or the way his eye would linger on her for a second more than with other people. She couldn't put her finger on it. It was as if her fight or flight reflex was acting up, and the answer was always an easy one: flee.

"Here, you should take these flowers. They are yours… The ones you got him are much better anyways," he acknowledged.

She looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. Had he actually recognized that she did something better than him for once?

He let go of her hand and handed her the roses. She stood there hugging the roses to her chest.

"Also-" he began.

He just had to get it out of his chest. It took him too long.

"You're not going to lecture me about my fight with Rin, right?" she interrupted him, her mood immediately turning bitter.

Her eyes both sharply fixed on his face.

"N-No, it's not that…" He said running a hand through his hair nervously.  
"I just wanted to…" She looked at him with curiosity, and couldn't figure out just what the hell was going through his mind. She didn't have time for this.  
"I promised to never hurt you again, and protect you," he suddenly blurted. She cocked her head to the side bewildered by his odd behavior.  
"Thanks, but I don't need-" he interrupted her.  
"I just wanted to apologize for being so dreadful to you these last couple of years, but you saved me from drowning in my own pride and I see my mistakes now. And I thank you for that."

Ryou was absolutely speechless. She felt like she needed air. Why did he always do this? I mean, they had already had a similar conversation just a couple of months ago that one night when he attempted to leave the village.

She blinked twice confused: She did not see this coming.

What the hell was happening? She looked at the boy with her eyes wide. She held her jaw in place as it was about to drop. Flowers in her hands even closer just to make sure she wouldn't drop them. Part of her was waiting for Gai to come out with a camera grinning claiming that hits was all a dare or a stupid prank.

"You don't have to say anything-" he began. She interrupted him.  
"Thank you, but- you've already apologized before," she said as gently as she could with a small smile. Slowly inching away from him, she had to get out of here soon. There was something about the autumn wind and the setting dusk that made her feel even more on edge. Her heartbeat pulse began to pick up pace. Something bad was coming, she could feel it.

"I'm sorry if I was somewhat unbearable as well…" She had ran out of things to say, "And for the flowers, thank you. They're very-" This time he interrupted her.

He held her head in place with his two hands and intensely stared at her with his one viewable dark eye. His other one, Obito's Sharingan, was now covered by his forehead protector. It took her a moment to react and to realize that he was actually kissing her in the middle of a graveyard. Her mind went blank. She couldn't even process what the hell was happening. His kiss was so different from Shisui's it was so desperate and hurting-

She blinked twice when he pulled away. He had never seen her face turn that shade of red. Her heart was thundering violently in her chest. Only he could get her this riled up in such a brief amount of time. She saw he had his mask on again and couldn't help but wonder what he looked like-

"How dare you!" She exclaimed furiously. "I-I-I," she couldn't find her words. Eyes darting all over the place nervously. "I have a boyfriend!" She snapped, violently hitting him with the flower bouquet he had just given her, damaging most of the pink flowers.

"Why would you do that? What are you thinking?!" she screeched, her face burning in embarrassment. He wasn't about to apologize for doing something he had want to do for a very long time.  
 _"WHY?!"_ She demanded to as she gripped on to his shirt collar. Often times when You demanded to know things he would just throw her a bone and she was fine with it, this time, she meant business. He had never seen her act so hostile before. He had done way worse things to her, but _this was a first.  
_  
"I just had too," he shrugged attempting to keep his cool. He had acting like such an idiot before before stuttering and stumbling around with his words.  
He cooly shoved his hands into his pockets and arched his back, he was beginning to catch up to her height.

"I can't believe you!" She continued her rant. He had stopped listening half way. A smirk playing on his unseeable features.

He stoped resisting the assault of the flowery weapon. Feeling more embarrassed than frustrated, she simply stormed away. Once she was at a safe distance, Kakashi finally let out the breath he had been holding and turned to the grave.

"I'm glad you were here to see that," Not knowingly to Kakashi's knowledge if Obito knew he would be rolling in his grave, gagging.

"I have an important mission tomorrow in the country of the Mist, Rin is coming too. It's dangerous, so we'll be extra careful..." he said to the grave after his leaping hormones cooled down.

Later that evening Ryou lay down in her bed next to Shisui. She still felt her heart hammering against her rib cage. They weren't doing anything in particular that night, simply talking about his most recent mission and attempting to relax.

"Hey, where did you get those flowers from?" he asked looking at the damaged pink roses that were on a vase next to her bed. She felt her heart rate increase just at the sight. He knew, he had to have fucking known.

That was the first time she lied to Shisui...

It was only a couple of days later that Ryou was having breakfast with her father that she noticed something peculiar in the back of the newspaper. There was a picture of Rin Nohara in the morning paper- in the Obituaries section.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Add more RyouXShisui in the mission. How she_** ** _stumbled and a familiar stench. Obito creeping around..._**

 ** _14  
Age: 14_**

Neither Ryou nor Kakashi attended Rin's funeral services. One felt an overbearing amount of shame, the other didn't care for the girl's death.

This war… So many lives had been lost.

From what Ryou had heard, Rin had died by Kakashi's hand during a delicate mission in River country. People had now baptized him with the cruel nickname "Kakashi Friend Killer." He had attempted to kill Ryou Noa once, Obito Uchiha had perished under his guidance in a mission, and now Rin Nohara died by his hand. Well, this is what Ryou had gathered from what Gai had told her. He had also mentioned that from what he could tell he had been sunk into a manic depression. One in which he once again shunned everyone and isolated himself in total and complete loneliness.

"And Shisui-san?" Asked Gai as they both strolled through the park.  
"Oh, he's fine. He's away on a mission. That Shisui, that's really all he does now a days. Fulfill his missions, clan duties and train his cousin Itachi."  
"Sounds like you don't see him often," Gai mused.

The girl walked with her arms stretched over her head. Her hands grasping her opposite elbows.

"I respect that," she said with a small smile. "He's doing what he loves and gives me the freedom so that I can pursue… my own interest."  
"Don't you miss him?" he pressed.

Irked with his pressing questions she decided to change the topic.

" _Well,_ I am usually extremely occupied myself. I've been promoted to ANBU you know?" she bragged.

After a year of harassing Sandaime Hokage and successfully completing plenty of high risk missions, Ryou had finally been recruited to join Konoha's most elite military team, ANBU. The Third Shinnobi World War was nearing the end, but besides that not much had changed.  
She still wasn't speaking to Kurenai or Asuma, and well- she had been avoiding Kakashi ever since that certain thing had happened in the graveyard. Like the usual she found herself at loss of words with him. She didn't know what she would say if she ever encountered him in the village. For such a small population that lived in Konoha, it was easy to avoid someone if one desired. She had ran the scenario in her head over and over again, and they were all terrible.

Scenario A:

Ryou: I heard Rin died.

Scenario B:  
Ryou: I heard you have manic depression, I feel almost as shitty as you do.

Scenario C:  
Ryou: _Why?_

She shook her troubling thoughts away, and pondered if she should create a new list of goals in order to keep her mind off things.  
She refused to rest or have any time for leisure. Often times her only time for relaxation was spending a day at the local SPA.  
Other than that, she had been occupied crafting and perfecting her kekke genkai skills, or the infamous Noa clan crsytal jutsu.  
This technique… It had developed into a deathly sight for any nearby enemy.

With her refusal to rest or have any time for leisure, her crystal jutsu had developed into a rather mortifying for her enemies.  
Despite the year that had changed, she hadn't progressed much in her own list of tasks to achieve.

1) Defeate Genjutsu: **IMPOSSIBLE**

2) Create Personal Jutsu: **CHECK**

3) Suspects: **CHECK**

4) Murder Weapon: **CHECK**

5) Solve Crime: **PENDING**

With the end of the war came a new era. A new Hokage came to power. The duty and burdensome weight of defending the Leaf village fell upon his shoulder's. His name was Minato Namizake he had earned the nickname of Konoha's Yellow Flash, he was known for his inhumane speed and quick thinking wit. He was now the 4th Hokage, Yondaime Hokage, and Ryou was to fall under his service as ANBU.

Believe it or not there had even been some drama while the new Hokage was being appointed. Lord Danzo, one of the higher ups in the Hokage's council, had recommended Orochimaru to be Hokage, but Hiruzen the Sandaime had denied _his own_ student that privilege and had instead appointed Minato. There was a massive parade and ceremony in order to celebrate his ascension in ninja ranks as the maximum level: Hokage.

During the celebration, many happy faces squealed with glee and celebrating by waving flags and tossing confetti in the air. The war was officially over and we were under new leadership.  
Ryou however wasn't smiling. A somber mood still haunted her. Her mind briefly flashed to Obito's dying moments. She toll of the war had been much too great. More than half of the people that had attended the Academy with her had been killed in action. In this war more than half of Konoha's youth had perished. As sad as it was in one way it was survival of the fittest…

. Not that it tormented Ryou, but the idea that half of the kids she went to the academy with were dead.

Well it was just disturbing…

* * *

It was only a few days after the inauguration that Kakashi was summoned to the Hokage's office and offered a higher rank in the ANBU: Black Ops.  
Minato appointed him part of his personal, private squad, thinking it would lead him to a good direction in his life.  
The new Hokage and sensei had been more than aware of the pain his former student had been carrying and how it had been weighting him down.

The Noa girl hadn't seen him in some time, not after that day in the graveyard, and surely not after the Rin incident had occurred.

He was a completely different person. There was absolutely no trace left of any emotional progress that had been done over the course of the previous years. She was absolutely taken back when she finally laid eyes on him. She had never seen such coldness reflected in anybody's eye(s) before.  
They were both on a top secret mission. The team consisted on Uchiha Shisui, leading as captain. Hatake Kakashi, Noa Ryou and two other Shinnobi.

The objective was simple. Travel to the hidden rain village and take out an S-rank rouge ninja, who posed to be a threat to the civilians in the area.

He hadn't uttered a word to her since they had met. He masked every emotion under the pale face of a fox. His red and black eye peering through the gaping holes. She could only see his eyes, the window to the soul. Dark circles had begun to form underneath, they looked tired and weary and were vast of any sign of emotion. In his childhood he had been a stoic child, but now- it was almost as if he wasn't human.

They all followed Shisui as he began explaining what role each of the team members would play. Her conscience toyed with her emotions filling her with guilt. She remembered Obito's words before he died, she had betrayed him for him. She still couldn't help, but partially blame herself for what had happened. Maybe if she had agreed to save Rin with him since the beginning, perhaps he would still be amongst them.

Ryou's life progressed calmly for the next couple of months. She was swarmed with ANBU most of the time, this consumed most of her free time to investigate her family's business affairs. She had decided to keep an eye on the silver haired ninja who's insanity was slowly beginning to consume him. Seeing him slaughter in the field was like seeing a merciless, red eyed devil being unleashed. Despite all of the ANBU being efficient killing machines, he was, well he would often return bathed in blood. He had no hesitation in killing, he never questioned an order or doubted himself or the sacred rules of the Shinnobi code.

Even the Hokage noticed his growing lunacy and appointed him to what Ryou assumed to be a fools errand to distract him from his… killing sprees.  
He had been given the task to would watch over the Hokage's pregnant wife: Kushina Uzumaki.

Even if he was disappointed with the pointless task Kakashi agreed to fulfill his mission. The nine months of pregnancy quickly passed and Kushina was ready to give birth on the 10th of October.

Kakashi found himself walking back to his apartment one afternoon hands in his pocket. He felt a familiar presence nearby, ignoring it. He was suddenly tackled by Gai.

"Kakashi! My rival! We should go train! I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!" He began to ramble. Kakashi wanted to do nothing with anyone. He kept to himself and rarely spoke to others. Most would get the hint, but Gai was either too darn stubborn or just stupid enough that he wouldn't get he wanted to be alone.

There seemed to be something… odd in the air on this night. Something baleful. He glanced up at the moon wondering what this strange feeling was.

* * *

Ryou lay in bed with Shisui both of them were watching an old movie, when a pungent stench suddenly reached her nostrils. She slapped her hands to her nose, covering it with both hands

"Ugh! Do you smell that?" She said cringing. She stood up and approached the window peeking out at the dark night.  
"I didn't fart I swear!" Shisui snapped defensively. Both of his eyes widening into comical white saucers.

"No… It smells _really_ bad. Like rott. The smell is in the air…" She said in a nasal voice. Shisui rolled his eyes "I'm sure it's not-"

Suddenly the ground violently rattled, making the bed jump and the TV crash against the ground. The fan above Shisui's bed started swinging in circles. Without a second thought both ninja rushed to the window. This as not normal. Shisui's eyes instantly snapped into the Sharingan. Ryou's eyes went wide and her jaw clenched.

"W-What is that?" She asked in both awe and fear. She felt her mouth go dry.

Once again, the floor trembled making her grip onto Shisui's arm. From the distance, they would see a bright orange _thing_ … More like a monster.

"It can't be!" Shisui exclaimed. "It's the Nine Tailed Fox Demon." Shisui said in we.  
"The Kyuubi…" Ryou repeated, not taking her eyes of the wriggling nine tails that waved in the air. Without much haste both made way to the Hokage's office, which was overcrowded with ninja of all ranks. Yondaime was nowhere to be seen, instead Hiruzen had taken over and even at his old age was dressed in a full body armor ready to fight. The orders were simple to evacuate the city and defeat the monster.  
Afterwards Ryou was assigned to retreat to a meeting point for special orders. She did so on the way saving a man who was almost crushed by a collapsing building. She picked up a child who was soon found by its mother.  
Our protagonist finally reached the meeting point near outskirts of the city. She couldn't do much from here, she wondered just what her assignment was. Being there she realized that most of her friends and acquaintances were there. The expression on their faces grim.

Mostly everyone there was of the age of 15 years or younger. Gai was there, so was Anko, Kurenai, Genma, Ebisu, Asuma, and Kakashi amongst others. She noted the unwell expressions on everyone's faces as they watched the demon destroy their home.

"W-Why is everyone just standing here?" She gasped, making all eyes turn to her. "Why are we standing here! We have to do something, can't you guys see our village needs us?!" She snapped angrily.  
"Do you think we are here because we please?" Kurenai snapped back.

Ryou was taken back, this was the first time they spoke in years. Every since that fateful day with Rin… Her tone was unkind and her crimson eyes held reflected pain and anger.  
Ryou was about to _snap 'What's holding you back?'_ , when a man with the same crimson halo that Kurenai possessed and dark hair down to his shoulder's stepped forward. Ryou figured it was her father, she briefly remembered him from their childhood. He wore an aged complexion on his face.

"You are not to leave this barrier. You are the future of Konoha and as the new generation you will pass on the Will of Fire to your children and your children's children." He explained to her in a stern tone.  
 _'Of course..'_ She growled.  
After the massive population loss from the war, and _this_ \- they can't afford to have their future killed off. She looked around the crowd and noticed there weren't that many people, a good 40 kids stood there anxiously. Ryou wasn't afraid of Shinku Yuhi, she stepped forward both of her fist clenched in her sides. Some of the other children looked at her with admiration, others surprised, but most were distraught.

"You are no one to tell me what or not to do when _my_ village and _my_ people are in danger!" She hissed. Gai stood behind her and held a firm grip on her arm holding her back.  
"Hokage's orders." Was all the man hissed.

Kakashi was watching carefully.

"Well the Hokage can-" In that moment she went silent.

She was lost in the red eyes of Shinku and slowly lost consciousness into a powerful Genjutsu.

It was only the next morning that Ryou snapped back into consciousness, and by then everything was over.


	15. Chapter 15

**_15  
Age: 16_**

The anniversary of the attack of the Kyuubi demon fox loomed over the village. October 10th. The village had suffered a tremendous toll in deaths, and after the war there weren't many more people around. Even Konoha's Yellow Flash, Minato Namizake, the Fourth Hokage and his wife had also perished.

Kakashi's only remaining friend…

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage had been appointed Hokage once again. Much rebuilding had to be done in the village. A new monument called the K.I.A. stone had been placed in order to honor the names of those who had sacrificed they're lives in the war and fox attack. And a new orphanage had to be built…

"You celebrated the day of your birth recently right?" An elderly woman with heavy under eyeliner and a massive painted round circle on her forehead crooned as she held the younger girl's hand in her own.

"A Cancer?" woman guessed. Ryou nodded her head, her eyes narrowing. "Creative, spontaneous, faithful, emotional, protective, loving…" The woman trailed off.  
Kakashi who was standing behind her with his arms crossed scoffed and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Moody, pessimistic, clingy, overemotional, suspicious and a born nagger!"

The smile had wiped off her face to glare at the older woman.

 _"You will soon walk a dark path. It will blind you and you will suffer greatly. If you don't make the right choices it will kill you, but if you do- in the end it will all be worth it,"_ she said in an ominous voice. Her light amethyst eyes glowing in the dim lighted tent as she did.

Ryou scoffed.

 _"It is your emotions and attachments that make you weak. You isolate yourself. Don't make that mistake, again. Make your fatal flaw you're main strength-"_

"Lady! You don't know what you are talking about!" She slammed her hands on the table making the crystal ball in the table rattle.  
The woman only glared. Ryou tossed a coin to her and stormed out of the violet colorful tent, Shisui and the others following behind.

"You were right, this was a waste of time." She said shaking her head. _'Surprisingly the woman was on point…'_ Shisui thought slightly amused.

"We're already behind time on mission time. There is no time to argue." He said as both continued walking in an attempt to meet with the rest of the team.  
They finally met up with the ANBU some were upset and some were happy to have had that small break before heading back to the Leaf village again.

 _'What a waste of time…'_ Kakashi thought dully. He had no time for such childish affairs...  
Everyone was covered in dirt, bruises and was completely drained Eight ANBU had gone on a mission and eight had returned. The mission had been to wipe out a small enemy village near the Hidden Rain village, _again._ Team Shisui followed the way home. He was leading the way until suddenly a massive pike arose from the ground making the team scatter. They had been followed.

Shisui gave a step back, his Sharingan already activated, there were about a 100 shinnobi who had trailed them.  
Everyone was ready to attack. "Now!" Shisui shouted.  
The team had been warned about this, no one wanted to get near Shisui's Sharingan so they all dispersed taking the enemy out to different areas.  
Ryou had gone off by herself and around a dozen ninjas had chased her. Putting both of her hands together in a clap and spreading it out, sparks flew from her hands as two concrete, crystal halos appeared in both of her hands, which made it easy for her to slice through her unfortunate victims. She saw that the eight of them were now laying on the floor sprawled out in a pool of their own blood.

Five of the other ninja stood hidden amongst the shadow's of the trees between some bushes close to the fight scene.

"That's Ryou Noa, right? Konoha's Crystal Hound…" one man said.  
"They call her that because of the crystals, right?" Another one whispered back. "But why Hound?"  
"They say she can smell the fear in her enemies from miles away, she can see into your soul and hear as you plead to your god that she doesn't find you." He said with his eyes wide.

The enemy saw the girl crouch down to her knees and spread her palms out in the floor as she took a pair odd extremely ragged breaths.

"Doesn't look so tough to me…" One of them scoffed.

She was only sixteen.

"We should-" The man spoke his last words.

Their leader felt his skin being splashed by the warm blood of his comrades. He turned and became paralyzed when he saw that pair of emerald green eyes were piercing into his soul. Surrounded by a group of impaled corpses some still alive and others groaning in pain. He struggled to breath properly, his mouth agape in shocking fear.

"You know what else they call me?" She said turning around approaching the villain who stood frozen in his spot his bottom lip quivering as he attempted to enunciate anything coherently.  
the girl knelt down once again and slapped her hand on the ground "Ryou the Impaler," She said darkly.  
Just then a massive crystal rose from the ground and pierced the villain painfully impaling him raising his dying body high enough for the young lady to look up to see him. It was truly a macabre sight, but Ryou didn't have any mercy for murderers specially when they killed children.

Ryou stood up watching the bodies of the criminals slowly and painfully bleed out she was attempting to catch her breath, when suddenly she felt a sharp blade stab her in the back.

"I guess the Blodhound's senses aren't as esteemed as they claim they are." A husky voice whispered gripping a hold of her arm, pressing his nose against her thick hair. She let out a low hiss, as she felt the itching pain in her back.  
A dry chuckle escaped her lips.

"The most cowardly thing a person can do is become a backstabber."

She flashed the man a crooked smirk. The enemy pushed in his blade further and heard a sickening crack. He looked down and saw that his sword had cracked into shards. "What the f-" he began saying.

The girl pivoted and gave a step back ready to attack, but before she attacked she felt her face become splattered with the enemy's blood.  
A fist shot out of his chest and blue lighting sparks flew out of a bloody hand.

"Thanks," she said slowly looking at the man who they called the "Copy-cat Ninja" or "Cold Blooded Kakashi." He simply remained silent. Acknowledging her gratitude. After all these years they still weren't speak. The only conversation they had was always regarding their missions. Nothing more than that, nothing less. Both pretended as if the other had been a stranger.  
Ryou couldn't help but look at him with a construed expression. His seemed to remained permanently stoic. Then again, the masks that he wore didn't help.

He didn't say anything else, his eyes which she could see from the holes of his ANBU mask were focused on her dead impaled victims. He turned his eyes back to her.

"And they call me cold blooded." He muttered before walking away. As in cue Ryou only starred at him in concern…

She knew that Shisui was retiring as ANBU captain, to participate as a regular ANBU member, after all, he had done his time. Ryou had an idea of who would be the next captain, and the thought honestly worried her. As she left the scene she leaned on the blood crystals where her victims had been impaled and absorbed back the chakra in them making them turn a dull shade of grey rock. she had done her time as well, over the next few years she was planning on becoming more absent in the ANBU so that she could finally focus on the only thing that truly mattered to her. Her reason for coming this far: solving her family's mystery.

She followed him and saw how he would take enemies down as he encountered them. He had no mercy for them just like an ANBU should. At some point he even began charging towards her, she knew she wasn't his target, and with her hands in her pockets Ryou flickered her body out of place and saw as she ended the life of another villain that had been close behind her. The terrain was finally clear. She saw as his Chidori died down in his hand and his breathing become ragged. His arms began shaking and he collapsed to his knees.

"Kakashi! Are you alright?" Ryou said jogging over to him.

He didn't answer. Every time he killed he would see-

 _Her_ _._

He could see the image of his hand piercing her and blood coughing from her mouth as she drowned in it. The image replayed over and over again every single time he killed. He suddenly felt a hand touch him, flinching on instinct he wasted no time in slicing the enemy.

"Gah!" He snapped back to reality. Taken aback by the sudden yelp of pain. You had only been attempting to comfort him by placing a hand on his shoulder. With a sharp hiss she retreated, pulling her hand back to his chest.  
Karachi was almost like a wounded animal, a dog. One that had been abused and would bite anyone that tried to come in contact with him.

He snapped his head to look at her a crazed look could be seen gleaming from his dark and crimson eyes.  
There was so much blood. It was probably her worst wound from the entire mission. It was almost like that one time when he had attempted to leave the village.

His breathing became heavy. He was not ok. He was not mentally stable. She kept a tight grip on her hand trying to stop the blood from flowing.

"R-Ryou." He said, his voice feebly trembling. He also remembered that fateful day when she had attempted to stop him from abandoning the village. He had promised never to hurt her again, and yet he had broken his promise. He had broken a rule. Kakashi didn't even recognize himself anymore.

Still with eyes wide the girl turned away and abandoned him in the middle of the forest. She returned to the main road where Shisui stood amongst the other ANBU members some injured some not, but thankfully there were no grave casualties.

"Ryou-chan!" Shisui rushed towards her noticing her injury and her body covered in bloods and dottings of maroon. "What happened?" He said holding her hand in both of his and ripping part of his shirt to bandage it.  
"It was just a bad move." She lied again.  
She hated lying to Shisui and she found herself lying to him often, and it was usually always regarding Kakashi. Her eyes briefly flickered towards the silver haired ninja who simply watched her from afar. Their eyes met and she sucked in her breath snapping them back to her boyfriend.

Without question he brought her bandaged hand to his lips and placed a kiss on the outside of it. "Next time be more carefully my gem." He said with a smile just before planting another quick kiss on her temple. After four years of dating you could say things were getting pretty serious with the two of them. Realizing they were in public he stepped back and checked on the rest of his team.  
Still feeling embarrassed about her boyfriend's public affections, Ryou wore a small smile on her face.  
That is until he showed up.  
No one else seemed to notice his weaken state or his even messier hair. The smile instantly wiped of her face, and they made eye contact again for a second. He began approaching her, but she walked away retreating to be at Shisui's side. There was a newfound darkness inside him that terrified her.

It was nightfall by he time they returned to the Leaf Village everyone in the team was completely drained. Some of the men in the team found the energy and clapped Shisui in the back as he finished giving his last instructions as ANBU captain. Everyone was cheering and decided to go drink sake and celebrate.  
Ryou had her arms wrapped around one of Shisui's arms a broad smile on her proud lips. Kakashi stared from a far distance engrossed. Once again he was in complete misery. He couldn't believe he had hurt her.

All of his friends were dead. He was completely alone and isolated, and worst of all he was guilty for most of their deaths. Friend Killer was a suiting name...  
But what pained him the most was seeing the only connection to his past, the girl that made him stir and stay awake at night was somebody elses and would probably always belong to that _somebody_ else. He had to stay away from her. From everyone. All he did was hurt the people around him. First Obito, then Rin, today wasn't the first time he injured Ryou, but he also didn't want to be responsible for that…  
Consumed by his misery and thoughts he returned to his lonesome home. Perhaps it would be better if he just ended it... He had no purpose, he was never going to achieve greatness. The only thing he was, was a killing machine, an efficient murdering tool, and that was about it. There was nothing left for him.

Kakashi opened the door to his apartment. He felt himself slightly at ease knowing he was finally in his own private sanctuary. He stretched out and with the lights just on he began removing his ninja sandals only to see a pair of black ones already on his floor.

He turned his head and met a pair of emerald green eyes. Ryou stood there in her ANBU uniform her back to him, her head was turned but her body was facing a bookshelf he had in his living room. Her lips were pulled together into a thin line and her eyes held a glint of mystery in their sparkling beauty.

Kakashi had already been imagining her drinking with Shisui and their friends celebrating his last mission as captain.

Then he suddenly realized, his eyes darted towards his bedroom. The most dreadful thought occurred to him. What if she had gone in? What if she had seen-  
He felt rush of panic. That would be the cherry on top of his life, he would probably kill himself if she ever saw the collection of photographs of her that he had on his wall.

"I thought you were with Shisui." He said in an attempt to keep his cool as he continued removing his shoes. He walked towards his small kitchen area in an attempt to create as much space as he could between the two of them. It was odd speaking to her, specially after all this time.

"I have a life outside Shisui." She said calmly, her eyes lowered, remaining focused on his book collection.  
"Kakashi what happened… when Rin died?" she said in what she hoped was her gentlest voice. One wrong move and who knows what he was capable of. She turned to face him, a random book in her hands.  
"That doesn't concern you." Just like that he shut her up coldly.

He saw the disappointment in her face and felt something bubbling inside of his stomach.

"What is it to you?" He asked through narrowed eyes. He had removed his uniform and only his pants and his long sleeve black shirt.

"You are not O.K.. I can see it, and I'm not the only one. Gai is worried too. I've noticed the way you kill, the way you've been carrying yourself lately and isolating from everyone. We've both done it before, and it's not good..."

"You don't pity people." He spat out coldly. "You leech onto people until you get suck everything from then and then spit them back out. You got whatever you wanted from Obito and moved on, you steal Shisui's ninjutsu, what is it that you want from me? Because I have _nothing left_ to give to _you."_

Ryou began clenching her fist at her sides, even if clenching her right hand brought some pain to her. Her temper was getting the best of her. She took short breaths.

"You are selfish." He continued his rant, his words piercing her like daggers. "You don't do things out of the kindness of your heart."

She took in a deep breath, in an attempt to calm her growing rage, "I won't argue against that… Are you done?" She asked with her eyes fixed on him, both of her eyebrows arched. She tossed the book to the side and cautiously approached him. His eyes narrowed in annoyance as he escaped to his bedroom and locked the door behind him.

"Oi!" She said slapping her hand against his door.

She could hear him furiously shuffling around and in that moment he opened the door. She sighed as she stormed past him and stood against the door blocking his exit. She had never been inside of his place. It was austerely decorated. His bed was green and decorated with a pattern or large shuriken. There were many more books, scrolls, and weapons. On the wall was a massive poster with the leaf village insignia.

"Listen," she said growing more and more irked by every passing moment. "Technically you are one of my few friends… and it causes everyone around you so much pain to see you like this. Even Minato-sensei was worried about you..." She trailed off recalling his tragic death.  
"So, what are you saying? That I should off myself and make the world a better place?" He sneered before approaching his window. He reached for the ledge before she felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso tightly.  
She buried her face against his back taking in his scent in case he decided to run off. He had finally surpassed her in height and was beginning to toll a head taller than her.

His body stiffened, chest hardened. Something inside of him swelled.

When was the last time someone had touched him? Embraced him in such a way?  
He lowered his arms, removing them from the window, expecting her to release her grip, but it instead became tighter.

"O.K..." He said awkwardly as he reached for her hands ready to remove them. Feeling one of them he saw the injured hand he had harmed. He took two steps back until she bumped into the bed and they both sat on the mattress. Sitting next to him she still held on to him tightly, her head leaning on his shoulder.  
"You can let go," he uttered growing sick of her touch, unused to such affections.  
She patted him in the back and finally let go, scooting to the opposite side of the bed. "You needed that," she simply stated with a coy smile.

He only glared at her from the corner of his eye.

"Well," she clapped her hands awkwardly. Once again, there it was, that familiar tension that seemed to fill the room whenever it was just the two of them. "I better get going..."

She made way to the door and began putting her ninja sandal's on. She noticed that he leaned against the bed frame of his room. His expression unreadable thanks to his dark mask. He watched her intently as she got ready to leave. She opened the door and turned to look at him.

"Unless... You want me to stay?"

"What gave you that idea?" He scoffed.  
She shrugged, door handle in her hand. "I don't know... The way you look at me, you're looking at me as if you want me too."

He snapped his eyes away and lowered his head. He swallowed a nervous lump that had formed on his throat.

She once again closed the door, not daring to remove her eyes off him.

"Leave," he said dully, turning his eyes back to hers.  
"I call the sofa!" she said removing her shoes, stretching her arms over her head, exhausted.  
"Ryou..." He droned slightly frustrated.

"I'll be gone before sunrise," she said as she hopped on his coach. Part of him cringed at the way she was handling his perfectly unused furniture. Then again, it's not like he _ever_ had guests over.

He retreated to his bedroom shaking his head. _'That girl...'_

Ryou sighed as she sat in his sofa. _'A blanket and pillow would've been nice?'  
_ She looked around the foreign living room.  
She picked up the book she had tossed earlier and began leafing through it. A couple of hours later she closed the book, satisfied with the ending of the mystery novel. She rubbed her tired eyes ready to call it a night-  
Suddenly, the sound of loud shuffling caught her attention. Alert she slowly put the book down and tiptoed to his bedroom door.

She tapped the door gently.

 _No response._

She opted for a knock.

 _No response._

She called his name.

 _Still no response._

Only more shuffling followed the absence of noise. She reached for the door handle and realize he had locked it. "Kakashii?" She called one last time.  
Growing more and more worried by each passing second she was left to choice. Focusing her chakra on her uninjured hand, she punched a hole through his door. There was no reaction. _'What the hell could he possibly be doing?!'_  
Opening the door she reached into the darkness and turned the doorknob.  
She was expecting him to kick her out for destroying his door. Instead-

She was greeted by a horrifying sight. In the midst of the pitch darkness, she slowly opened the door and saw a transformed human being. Just like she had predicted, this wasn't him. He was in the floor of his bedroom bent over on his knees. His back arched, chest rising up and down. He was violently heaving.

 _"There's so much blood."_

She was paralyzed. Never in her life would she think she would witness him behaving like this. Was this what it was like to be him?  
To be completely and totally alone? Only living with himself and his guilt?  
Atleast she had her father and Shisui. At least she kept busy with her other... hobbies.

 _"There is so much blood."_ He repeated in a trembling voice.

Still unable to speak she rushed to his side. He flinched at her touch and she helped him to his feet. They both crammed in his small bathroom where he began to agitatedly wash his hands. She only stared at him apprehensively.

"It won't come off," he muttered as he continued washing his hands from an invisible substance.

He continued washing feverishly. Both of his hands had turned a rosé pink from how hard he was scrubbing them. He needed professional help, there wasn't much she could do for him except attempt to calm him down.  
She had an idea of what he thought had permanently stained his hands...

"Kakashi..." She said in an attempt to grasp his attention.

It was no use. She repeated his name and reached for his arm carefully.

"Kakashi, there's no blood…" As soon as her skin made contact with him, he reached for her wrist and gripped it tightly. She flinched but did not pull away simply starring at him straight in the face.

"You don't understand nothing matters! It doesn't matter that I'm a Jounin, that I made it to ANBU. I killed Rin! The only promise I had ever made to Obito was that I would protect her with my life and she died by my hand instead!" He raised his voice, his eyes wide like an injured animal. His grip became tighter. "I hurt you, even after I promised not too..."

Realizing he could hurt her, he let go off her hand as if it was a hot stone. He looked at her with so much emotion, she looked, frightened more than anything.  
He didn't know if she feared him or for him.

"I am death. I kill and destroy everything that's around me. Sometimes I think it might be better if I-..." He trailed off. Swallowing the confession of his suicidal problem. She knew that suicidal behavior could be an inhered trait. She thought of his father, The White Fang, she couldn't picture his life ending the same way.

 _'Rin…'_ How Ryou wished the once-sweet girl had never existed. She had made Obito suffer in life due to his terrible infatuation with her, and now in the afterlife she tormented Kakashi even when she wasn't here, she still found a way to torture someone. What she would give to have done something about it, to perhaps have offed her done herself. Ryou had come to absolutely despise the girl that had once been her friend…

"Look at me." She suddenly snapped, jerking his face so that he had no choice but to look at her tenacious expression and her determined eyes. She held his face in her hands. Kakashi suddenly realized the situation he was in and in that moment he couldn't help but wonder how both of them had ended up in his bathroom.

"Breath." She ordered not missing a beat and he did.  
"Good," she let go off his faced her shoulder's relaxed.

"Do you want to try and go to sleep again?" She tried to get him out of the crammed bathroom.

"No," he avoided her eyes.  
"Let's go lay down. It will do you well," She insisted literally dragging him to his bed. "No!" He pushed her off.

She stumbled back bumping into his wall. She starred at him in shock. Both of her eyebrows turned as she became upset. She gritted her teeth.

It was suddenly that he snapped back to reality. The upset expression on her face didn't particularly bring him any comfort.

"You should leave..." he said inaudibly in defeat.

She looked at him fuming as he looked away. Suddenly his face went flying to the side. He didn't react in time when she picked up one of his pillows and smacked him across the face with it. She jumped on his bed standing on top of him with an angry expression. She was absolutely livid. He had never seen her so morose.

"Ry-!" before he could protest. She hit him across the face with a pillow once again.  
"Ryou!" He snapped snatching the pillow out of her hands. "Stop hitting me! You're so damn childish!" He snapped.  
She held a deathly grip on the pillow and pulled at it. They both pulled so hard that it tore. Feathers flew everywhere in the entire room and she fell backwards off the bed. A loud _thud_ resounded the apartment complex. He wasn't sure if he had officially lost his mind or if she was equality insane. He looked at all the feathers that contrasted with his dark clothing. Great, more of a mess for him to clean up tomorrow.

She stormed out of the room, through his broken door leaving. He sat there feeling sorry for himself, expecting to hear the door slam. Instead she returned with a crazed look in her eyes. In her arms she held all of the cushions and pillows from his living room.

"You. Are. So. Infuriating!" She screamed hitting him synchronization with her words.  
"Stop it," he growled standing on his knees grasping both of her elbows in his hands. "Stop!" He said dangerously, holding her close.

Suddenly from below both of them could hear a neighbor knocking on his roof, their floor, complaining about the noise. Both made eye contact and despite the sombre night, she actually began to laugh. He didn't remaining unfazed.

"What is the matter with you?!" The grip on her arms tightened.  
 _"What is the matter with me?"_ she blinked twice incredulous by what he was asking. "What is the matter with _you?!_ " She wriggled under his grip.

"I can't believe you just sit here sulking all day feeling sorry for yourself! Do you think Obito would want this for you? Or even _her?_ "

He listened.

"You've always competed with me, but I think it's time you begin competing with _you_. Face your fears!" She yelled. It took her a moment to catch her breath and calm down. Once she did, the grip on his palms loosened, but she still didn't move.

"There is no blood, but I can't make you see that. You have to see that for yourself." She said quietly, he didn't reply.

 _She was right._

"I'll be on my way now." She stood up from the bed. "Wait-" He reached for her hand. Realizing what he had done he immediately let go.  
He didn't want to be the one to say it.  
She looked at him expectantly. Growing more and more impatient by the minute.

His mind was so askew, for a moment he pictured kissing her-

"Stay," he simply said.

* * *

 _'Friend Killer…!'_ Kakashi suddenly jolted awake covered in cold sweat. His reaction awoke Ryou who had been half sleeping half conscious at the time. It was now dawn-

He realized he was in his living room sharing the same sofa as her. His head hung on her shoulder lazily. Half of his body resting over hers. He wanted to blame waking up in the same room as her on sleeping walking. However, he had consciously done it. She had retreated to sleep in the sofa, like the proper young lady she was and he had followed.

Realizing she was awake he slowly stood up and not daring to look back at her paced forward to his kitchen. He ran a hand through his silver hair nervously. He finally looked back to face her, but felt stupid when he realized she was gone.  
She was gone asleep still in dreamland. Her mouth was a little ajar and poised in an unattractive expression.

Suddenly he realized something dreadful. Kakashi had woken up every single morning for the last six years or so to a picture of Ryou's face on his wall. Waking up next to her incarnate version was- well _different…_

He briefly looked at the wall over which he had spread a lame poster with Konoha's sign over all the picture's he had of her. Meanwhile Ryou's mind was racing as she pretended to be fast asleep.

 _'This is so fucked up…'_ She thought not daring to open her eyes.  
 _'I have to tell Shisui about this.'_ She thought dreading that conversation as she pretended to be fast asleep in the sofa a feeling of guilty and realization washing over her. Regardless, she had to face Kakashi first. She opened her eyes and groaned as she stretched every single muscle in her stiff body. That sofa was not comfortable. She wasn't going to pretend she didn't feel him last night when she snuck into the sofa to sleep with her.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" He said in an attempt to start a conversation.  
"I don't remember." she said absent mildly still stretching, popping all the bones in her spine. "Did you?" She said finally looking at him.  
"A little. Better than most days." He said approaching her, handing her a cup of black tea.  
"Good." She said as she exhaled the breath she'd been holding. She took the cup from him and lightly sipped on it. She had probably slept for probably half an hour or so.

"You have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." She stated slowly.  
"What are you a medical ninja, now?" he retorted sarcastically his

The image of Rin Nohara popped up in Ryou's head, _never_. She thought disgusted.

"No. But it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. You need to interact with people. Talk about what happened. It will help." She suggested, before sipping on her tea.

"Do you want to stay or-?" He said slowly as he prepared to make breakfast. "  
No, I think I better go." She said putting on her shoes again.

There was an awkward silence between them. Neither of them were sure on how to proceed.

"Well, bye." Ryou shrugged making her way out. "Sorry about the door."

"Thank you..." She turned around a sad smile of her face. "No problem."

He nodded a weak thanks and she left.

 _'What a morning…'_ Thought Kakashi as he sipped his morning tea.


	16. Chapter 16

**16  
Age: 16**

He pretended to be engrossed with the horror novel he was reading. That is what his life was, one horrific, terrible, endless novel. The clusterfuck of emotions that he had been feeling lately had been helpful in his nightly struggles.  
He was beginning to perceive things to be different, almost as if there was more light in the room. His mind felt less foggy. Somehow, after all of these years he was beginning to feel at ease. If he had to write it out he would've written that he was 'happy.'

He looked at her sitting across the table for him reading the village's newspaper. More specifically the weekend's satire cartoon. Was this was friendship was? He wondered. She closed her eyes and laughed loudly at the image.

"Look!" She said pointing the newspaper towards him. He did.  
Her hair was loose and messy, not held in a braid anymore. She wore her hitai-ate covered by some loose bangs. Bright lime green eyes, beauty mark on her cheekbone, her four pendant chakra stone necklace adorning her neck...  
She was pointing at a badly drawn political cartoon of Sandaime Homage complaining about his back and wanting to drink prune juice. It was a jab at his old age for a Hokage. He simply closed his one visible eye as if smiling and distracted himself by pouring two cups of white jasmine tea, her favorite.

The two of them were currently sitting at the local teahouse around the Noa Manor. It was one of the first times that they were out in public together. And yes- It was the same teahouse where he had made her cry all of those years ago...

She continued reading, one hand holding up the folded newspaper the other taking a sip of tea. She placed her hand down on the table. He stared at it intensely. He held his book on one hand the other sat on the table as well. He would never not be thankful for the mask that covered his face, that hid his emotions from the outside world. Still staring intently at her hand he began slowly inching his finger towards her hand. It crawled across the table. She didn't seem to notice.  
He continued his heart rate increasing. He was so close-  
Finally he made contact. His eye remained on his book his finger intertwined with hers slowly. Realizing that something was touching her she removed her eyes from her readings, looked at his hand touching hers and then at him as he pretended he hadn't realized this.

"What are you doing?" She asked with suspicious narrowed eyes glaring.  
"What are you talking about?" He deflected her question remaining indifferent.  
"Why are you holding my hand?"

He finally looked at her. He was about to reply 'You're holding my-' when they were interrupted.

"Why are you holding his hand?" a third voice joined the party. The voice of a child.  
"Ahhh!" You yelped taken back by the sudden presence. She pulled back her hand and turned to face Itachi who was standing next to their table. The boy was staring at her with a pensive look and his dark eyes. His hair had gotten longer and he wore a forehead protector at the time age of eight. She had heard that the young boy was now esteemed as the next Uchiha prodigy. Having graduated from the Academy top in his class at the age of seven he was on his way to achieve great things.  
"I-I wasn't," she managed.

"Strange seeing you _both_ out today," That voice. It was Shisui.  
"Shisui-san!" She jumped to her feet, not expecting to see him today. "You're back early from your mission," she said embracing him tightly. He wrapped an arm around her and smiled at her for a moment- then his eyes turned to look at the silver haired ninja and he glared at him.  
"Yeah- caught a lucky break," he said letting go of he embrace, but still holding her.  
"I didn't know you two were such _good friends_ ," he said through a passive smile as he sought information as to what the hell he was going on between them.

He was more than well aware about the terrible history of rivalry and fighting that these two shared. Well at least from all the times she had told him how much of a terrible human being he was, and whatever he remembered from his late cousin's rants about him. During missions and teamwork he kept mostly to himself and he had never seen Ryou actually speak, less interact with him. Except for that one time..

"Well," she began placing a hand on his chest soothingly.  
"As of recently, I've been helping Kakashi with this _issue_ that he has." The way she emphasized on the word _'issue'_ made him think that she would tell him what it was later. However, today he wasn't having it.  
"What issue?" He pressed in a more serious tone. He removed his arm from her. She looked conflicted, Kakashi simply observed carefully analyzing the tense situation as did Itachi.  
"He has night terrors" she kept the information brief. "He really needs a friend which is why we're hanging out and _why_ I spent the night over the other day."

Shisui felt something snap inside of him. Due to his unnerving emotion his eyes flashed crimson. "You spent the night?" His tone harsher, his threatening Sharingan starring down at her. "You don't even like him Ryou. Why the hell would you stay over at his place? And what about me? I _am_ your boyfriend!"  
She looked at him with both of her eyebrows raised fearfully. She didn't think he would get _this_ upset about the situation.

"I'll get that tea to go," Itachi mumbled quickly as he sneaked off to change the order they had placed.

"Shisui!" She tensed up. "I-I didn't think you would be this upset. I was going to tell you, you just hadn't been around-"

She was interrupted by Kakashi who now stood between them. He stood facing Shisui. What the hell was he still doing here?!  
Any normal person would've run for the hills. After all this was the wrath of the infamous Uchiha Shisui that he would have to face.

"Shisui-san," he said in a calm tone. "I'm the one you should be upset at. I-"

He wasn't allowed to finish. In his anger Shisui wasted to time in kneeing him in the stomach. "Ugh.." Kakashi groaned clutching it, bent over in pain. He grabbed him by his shirt's collar and held him up ready to strike again.  
The culprit of this entire situation was speechless. She had never seen him this angry. She was about to lean over and aid him, but with Itachi at her side now holding her arm slightly shaking his head she was warned not to. The commotion drawing the eyes and interest of other nearby costumers. The owner of the place observed as he was ready to kick them all out.

"Shisui!" She snapped her hands clenched at her sides. She looked at him with an aghast expression. His red eyes turned to hers and he simply tossed the other ninja to the ground.

"I asked her to stay." He said through a strained voice as he slowly straightened out his back. The young woman left Itachi's side and confronted Shisui touching his face. "Shisui, please, look at me."

He wouldn't even look at her. "Nothing happened. I slept in the living room sofa, read a book and left first thing in the morning. I promise." She said with wide eyes looking into his red ones. He finally dared face her with hard eyes and a hard jaw.  
"You've never mistrusted me before. Why now?"  
He reached for her hands and brought them down.  
"It's not you I don't trust. It's _him."_ He darted his eyes towards his fellow ANBU.

He couldn't put his finger on what it was. He trusted Hatake as a Shinnobi of the same rank and respect as him. However, the idea of his long-time girlfriend being alone with him... There was just something about the way he looked at her, and the way he always seemed to appear around her that just made him feel distraught about the circumstances. It hadn't been a concern since she had always claimed that she "hated" him. He looked at her expression carefully; in her eyes she held both regret and sincerity. But part of him couldn't help but wonder what the root of their mutual obsession with each other was and where it originated from...  
He remembered one particular instance in which he- the thought of it made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Ryou, please wait outside with Itachi," he said almost through gritted teeth.  
"Shisui!" She repeated his name in a pleading tone. He flashed her a warning look in return.

She looked between the two of them before stepping out with the eight year old and the tea.

She hated being told what to do. She hated seeing Shisui angry and more than anything she hated being the reason for it. Her conscience wasted her insides with guilt. She hadn't been completely honest with him- but if he was this mad with this, she couldn't even imagine how he would react if he knew about the _other stuff_.

"I've never seen Shisui-san so angry," Itachi commented only making matters worse. She fiddled with her voluptuous her nervously .

The older Uchiha composed himself and took a deep breath before addressing him with a passive smile.

"You might be in denial about it, but I know it. I can see _it._ " He began frowning. Both of his eyebrows knitted.

The other remained silent and heard him out.

"I see the way your eyes trail after her whenever she walks, wherever she is. There-There's something about it... Almost as if she makes you _sick_." he paused for a moment. "What I want to make clear is that I don't want this event to repeat itself. The idea of my girlfriend sleeping at another man's house- makes me _nervous._ Understand?"

The other ninja didn't break eye contact still staring at those infamous red eyes. It was then that he was taken back by his eyes they were no longer the normal Sharingan, the one he was familiar with, his eyes had morphed into the legendary Makengyo Sharingan. He felt his blood run cold. Shisui's Makengyo Sharingan was known to be mortal. Everyone that had ever witnessed it was dead. There was no witness record about the inhumane things those eyes could do.

"I hope you _respect_ her and my wishes. Understood?" With a tightly, menacing smile, he gave him a hard pat in the back and strolled away to met her outside of the teahouse.

* * *

Shisui Uchiha looked at the crying girl before him. The couple was currently disputing in the privacy of her manor's patio.

"Shisui I swear, nothing happened." she repeated with one exhausted breath.  
"And I believe you," he said with a set frown on his face.

This wasn't the first time they fought. Like any normal couple they had had their ups and downs before. However, by far this was probably their worst fight yet.

"But the way you keep on repeating it, its almost as if _you_ don't believe it," he withdrew his hands from her cold ones. "I'm just-" She reached for her face wiping away her lost tears. "I love you Shisui and I don't want to lose you over something so _ridiculous_." He leaned in and brought her to his chest in a tight embrace.  
"I know," he murmured.

They embraced for a moment.  
"Ryou..." He began. "I don't want to see you with him again."

Was all he said. She shut her eyes tightly as she fired her face on his shoulder.

In his eyes a distant look as he remembered that one day when he saw them on the graveyard...

* * *

Ryou had spent the following weeks running missions and errands around in the village. In her free time she would bond with her father and Shisui at separate times. Both whom she felt hadn't bonded with enough in past time. It had even gotten to the point where she had extremely clingy of the Uchiha. She would go out of her way in an attempt to prove her wholesome loyalty to him. So far he wasn't very swayed by her attempts and she was beginning to run out of ideas.

She hated being told what to do. Following orders that weren't hers, but for Shisui she would do it. She would do anything for him. He had been nothing, but good to her and how did she repay him? By going behind his back to _see_ her childhood rival. It wasn't fair. Because of this she hadn't seen a certain silver haired young man for some time now and she didn't want to.

Right now, she currently sat in Shisui's bed. Her eyes were focused on his door. She didn't dare blink. Dreading that she might miss him if he arrived sometime soon, she didn't dare move. A couple of moments she heard him shuffling around downstairs. He was home. She felt her stomach fluttering anxiously. Her face burning. Inhaling and holding in her breath she attempted to calm down her jumping nerves. He made his way upstairs and opened his bedroom door. The lights in his room did not work when he tried them. Instead he was greeted by a pair of glowing green eyes in the darkness.

"Ryou?" He said as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.  
His girlfriend had been on edge lately. Ever since they had fought they had both been walking on eggshells. He hated it. He hated what had happened it was so stupid...  
"What are you doing?" He said confused closing the door behind him.

She appeared to be engulfed by his blanket. The only thing peeking out was her neck and face. She slowly stood up and approached him quietly with long strides. There was something in her attitude. In her objective. Not breaking eye contact she grabbed him by his shirt's collar and pulled him dangerously close so that he could feel her breath on his lips.

His blanket rolled down from her shoulders and came cascading to the floor.

 _"You."_

* * *

A couple of weeks later Ryou found herself washing some dessert plates in her home. Shisui had just kissed her goodnight and left. Ever since they had taken that important step in their relationship things had formalized a lot between them. Her father was presently sitting on the kitchen table looking through an old family album. Reminiscing in the absence of his wife and other daughter.

When suddenly the doorbell rang. Ryou didn't give it much thought, neither did her father he just muttered a short _'I'll get it'_ and went to open the door.  
She looked at the clock in their kitchen. It wasn't too late.  
 _'Shisui must've forgotten something,'_ she thought looking over her shoulder to see if there was anything he had forgotten in the kitchen table.  
Her father returned a moment later, both of his dark eyebrows were scrunched and his eyes were narrowed.

"Look what we've got here, Ryou-"

Still washing the dishes the girl turned around and almost had a heart attack when she saw who it was.

She clumsily hung on to a dish she was about to drop when she saw Kakashi standing next to her father.

"-A boy that actually knocks the door." He said with his eyes wide. "Figures," He shook his head and turned to face the silver haired ninja. "Come tree-stalker, we just had dessert, but I'll serve you some more." He said  
"No Sir, I think I'm-"

Aru didn't bother listen to the silver haired ninja's protest he sat him down on the family table and sat a plate of mochi in front of him. "Now, what brings you here stalker?"

The nickname was in reference to the first time Aru Noa had meet Kakashi Hatake in a rather compromising position on a tree outside his house. Let's just say Kakashi wasn't fond of the new nickname. With a stiff back Ryou began rushing through the stack of dishes she had to wash.

"I can't sleep in my apartment. So I came to sleep over here." He said dully.  
Ryou's father stood up from the table both of his hands touching the wood on top of it. Ryou sweat dropped and almost face palmed, fucking idiot… Why did he have to be so blunt? He had to leave. Shisui would kill him and who knows what he would do to her if he knew he was here.

"Ryou…" Her father growled.

She turned to look at him with a tired expression, his eyes were gleaming. Kakashi was watching the man carefully.

"I like this young man, and his honesty." He said with a grin.  
"Better than that Uchiha boy- thinking I don't realize when he sneaks right under my nose…" he muttered under his breath.

He then approached Kakashi and put a hand on his shoulder, patting his back.

"You're welcome to sleep anywhere and anytime in this house. As long as you respect my home _and my daughter._ " He said with a small smile, his eyes however were hard and blazing with venom. "Understood?" He said his hand tightening on the young ninja's shoulder. The conversation was only a reminder of Shisui's treating words from that day back at the teahouse.

"Outo-san!" Ryou hissed finally turning around.  
"Right." Aru regained his composure. "It's getting late for this old man." He said arching his back stretching.  
"I'll be in my room. Have a good evening you too. And please _don't_ make me wake up." And with a warning gaze he disappeared to his room.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" She hissed dropping the dishes she was washing and stepping over to him.  
"I told you, I haven't been able to sleep." He repeated himself as if it was the most logical explanation.  
"Are you insane?!" Exclaimed. "Do you know what would happen if Shisui-san knew you were here?" She said hands over her head.  
"I needed to see you."  
"No, no, no," she said repeatedly. She leaned over and grabbed him by the arm pulling him up. "Shisui and I are in a very good place right now and it took us a lot of time and work to get there so- no. I am _not_ allowing _you_ to ruin it _again_!"

He remained stiff like a rock and unmoving. It took You a couple of moments until she finally managed to drag him out of her house. They were at the gate now. She ended up dragging the chair in which he was sitting out with him. Sweat beads were forming on her forehead. He was heavy and simply remained unmoved with his arms crossed over his chest.

"There," she said dusting her hands off.

"Since when do you do what others tell you?" He asked placing his hands in his pockets.

 _'Now he stands up?!'_ she screeched internally. After all that work.

"I would do anything for Shisui. The only thing he's ever asked of me is not talk to you and I will do just that." From her tone he could tell she was dead serious. She really wasn't messing around. She wasted no time in pressing her hands against his back and pushing as hard as he could hoping to get him at least past the gate. With his heel dragging in the ground carving a two lined pattern he was making an effort to fight back.  
"Who says he has to know?" He said making her push even harder. "It wouldn't be the first time _we_ keep something from him," he said turning to look at her with a knowing look.

He was so unnerving she felt like strangling him in the spot.

"Leave me alone!" She said flustered, finally shoving him past the gates of her property with one final push. It took her a moment to slam he gate's fence in his face and locking him out.  
"Why are you even here? Every single time I do something for you I always end up getting the short end of the stick one way or the other. So deal with it! I am _done_ getting hurt!" She stomped her foot and returned to her home furious.

"Wait." He easily hopped over the large, elegant fence. He rushed and was now standing before her preventing her from coming into her own residence. "Wait-!" He repeated once again.  
"Get out of my way unless you want me to sock you in the face. Don't you get it?" She attempted to push past him. He reached for her arms in an attempt to hold her in place, instead she took a swing at him. He managed to hold her strong first in his palm. _'That was close...'_ he thought.  
She pulled her hand back quickly afraid that Itachi or Shisui might be nearby watching her, fearing that they might pop out of a shrub at any moment.

"I feel indebted to you, so now _I_ will do something _for you."_

"What can you possibly give me that I don't already have," she slid past him and opened the door of her home ready to step in.

"I'll help you get what you want most." he said ominously as he tried to face her.

She stopped and peered with a pensive expression.

"What I want the most?"

* * *

Both stepped inside of the manor.

She had allowed him in with one condition.

 _"I let you do this and you will never speak to me again."_  
 _She had decided to swear him off. For her good, his own, Shisui's, everyone's.  
He had agreed._

The corridors were long and elaborate chandeliers with gems filled every room. The carpet's were made of imported, colorful silk. Large arches opened every room of the house. It was no wonder the Uchiha clan had been so eager to receive the Noa heir into their family.  
The Noa clan was well known not for their fighting skills, but for their clever crafting of gems made out of pure chakra. Some say that these gems could move and buy mountains. Hiroko Noa, the founder of the clan, was approached by Hashirama and Tobirama Senju when the Leaf Village was in the works of being founded. They needed financial funding for their growing city and came to the highest bidder in the nearby lands. They offered him a name, a fruitful territory and their undeniable loyalty. He accepted and with their help they inaugurated the village.  
To commemorate the new found alliance Hiroko crafted one pure gem necklace for the first Hokage. He wore it proudly every day. In this day Ryou wore a necklace possessing five of those stones. Enough to probably purchase a small country.  
They had only become involved in the world of ninjutsu until recent generations. Kakashi hated to admit that he felt a little intimated as he walked through the manor with her. For the first time he was in her turf.

"Don't let him intimidate you. He sleeps like the dead." She said as they made way upstairs into the second floor of the house.

"Is he always like this?" Kakashi asked still eyeing the artwork on the walls as they advanced.  
"No. That's a first. He's harmless I swear. Just likes to test the boundaries." She said as they reached a door. Kakashi didn't seem convinced. "I am not my father's property and he knows that. He can't forbid me from what or who I do and don't do. He respects my space as long as I'm honest with him. So you should consider yourself lucky, now you are in the graces of the powerful Aru Noa." She opened the door to her bedroom.

He stood by the door, she advanced and instantly collapsed on her bed, sinking into the comfy mattress.

She noticed that he was looking at her lavender room carefully, analyzing the paintings on her walls and the elegant white furniture. Next to her bed she had a picture of her and her teammates, another of two young girls which he assumed was her sister and on the wall next to it was one of Ryou when she was younger with her family. Noticing he was looking around the room, she cleared her throat calling for his attention. He wasn't the first boy to be in her bedroom both Obito and Shisui had been here before, but he was acting as if he had never been in a girl's bedroom before.

"So- why are you _really_ here?" She asked looking at him through her dark eyelashes.

He sat on the chair next to her desk where many maps, scrolls, and books were laying amongst many other utilities.

"I came to help you with your investigation." He simply stated.

She stretched out her tired limbs in her bed.  
"For some reason I don't believe you." She rolled over , looking at him now upside down in her vision.  
"Not like it matters, since you're already here and you will not leave... There are plenty of rooms in the house, have your pick. I will see you in the morning." She said sitting up. "Goodnight," she said in a _'get the hell out of me room'_ tone. Making him leave.

Kakashi stood in the dark corridor by himself. There were so many doors in the long corridor, he wasn't too sure of where to go. He proceeded to walk down the long corridor, still not sure what room he would take. It wasn't until he reached the end of it that he realized a room was missing. Approaching it, he knocked on the wall there was an echo meaning something was behind it. He felt the wallpaper and saw a corner where it was peeling. For a moment he hesitated whether he should peel it or not. He tore it slightly and decided not to before walking away again. He was barely going to walk into a random room when he was suddenly pinned against the wall roughly.

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice hissed in his ear. "Snooping around my house."

Ryou was wearing a white jinbei with some grey green markings long the edges of the shorts and sleeves. She didn't look pleased.  
"Is that what you came here for?" She asked close to his face both of her eyes narrowed.  
"I already told you. I came to help you with your investigations."  
"Is that why you're looking and touching everything here? I didn't look through your stuff when I was in your apartment."

Suddenly her sensitive ears heard a shuffling in the dark.

"Great. You woke my dad up." Tugging at his arm she dragged him further into the darkness of the corridor. Where she pressed him up against the wall.  
It was pitch black, not much could be seen in the darkness. Ryou heard her father shuffle his feet outside of his room. He stopped for a second and she heard the wood crack again. Her eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness and focusing chakra into her glowing eyes she saw her father leaning an ear against her door before walking off once again. She knew he wouldn't do anything to her if he caught her in a compromising situation, she felt he didn't have that right- however, she wanted to spare him the awkwardness of that scenario.

With a sigh she turned to face the grey haired ninja who was inches away from her. She closed her eyes for a moment releasing the chakra she had focused in her eyes and turned to face him. She found he was looking at her with such an intensity, feeling uncomfortable she turned away and began walking back towards her sister's room.

"This was Miharu's room." She said standing outside the room. "I've never gone in." she said shortly her voice still a whisper.

Karachi was dumfounded. He felt like doing a face palm.

"You mean to tell me-" he began in disbelief. "You've been investigating a murder for the past 5 years and you have never actually seen the scene of the crime?"

"Basically." She said in a sad tone.  
"I never got to see the room after it happened. My father wasn't in his best mind. So he sent a work order for the door and windows to be permanently sealed." She explained.  
"You have to go in." He urged. All it took was one determined look. She looked at him and nodded, he was right. With her trembling hand reaching for the edge of the wallpaper taking in the delicate paper she slightly pulled-

"I-I… I don't know…" She said in an uneasy tone letting it go.  
"I can't." She repeated her voice cracking.  
"You have to." He pressed.  
"No!" She said a little bit louder this time.  
"What was it you said to me? _'Face your fears?'_ "

She nodded feeling her anxiety growing and she once again reached for the wallpaper. Her hand froze and she stood there for what seemed forever, but had only been one minute. Growing impatient he reached for her arm roughly and pulled it down scraping half of the wallpaper off revealing a white door underneath it.

Ryou gasped and turned to face him hitting him in the arm.

"W-Why did you do that?!" She repeated both of her eyes wide. Cold sweat perspiring in her back. She couldn't believe she was actually going to go into the room.  
"You have to go in. You will never make progress unless you actually root yourself in the scene of the crime." He explained calmly.  
"I-I guess your right." She said glancing away from him.

This time filled with determination she managed to scrape of the rest of the wallpaper. Underneath it, the door to Miharu's room. The crime seen was finally uncovered.


	17. Chapter 17

**17  
Age: 16**

The room was cold.

Kakashi locked the door behind them quietly. It was pitch black. The lights weren't functioning in the room. Years of abandonment had made the room useless and a thin coat of dust covered every inch of the room like a second blanket. Approaching where Ryou knew the window was, she ripped off the curtains that had been covering the window from the outside world. A cloud of dust and dead moths lifted off making them both fall into a fit of coughs. The ominous moonlight now illuminated the room and Ryou realized that everything looked exactly the same as it had when Miharu still lived. The walls were still a light shade of pink. Her queen bed was placed in the middle of the room, her desk on the side. Her ninja tools were still sitting in a chair in the corner of the room along with her backpack. A Massive pool of blood decorated the floor. Splatter and droplets of crimson dotted the pink walls amongst other furniture. Ryou's mouth felt dry, a small sob escaped her mouth as she looked at the dry crimson contrast against the pale furniture.

There was so much blood…

Her shadow casted upon the dirty floor. She reached for her mouth covering it with one hand, feeling her knees go weak her other hand sought for support against the wall. Failing, she slowly slipped down her breathing ragged. She wasn't counting on the room not having been cleaned. She felt as if it was spinning.

"Ryou!" Kakashi rushed over to her.

He knelt down to her eye level and grabbed onto her shoulder. Her eyes were wide and glassy, still processing the murderous scene. She did not reply. He repeated her name and shook her slightly.

"I need to get out of here!" She gasped remaining petrified down in her knees. Both palms slammed against the dry blood in the floor. Nails clenching the wooden floor.

"I need to-" she let out a ghastly breath fighting back her tears.

He started at the scene before him. It reminded him of he found his father's lifeless corpse hanging from his bedroom. Another grim memory he had attempted to bury into the depths of his consciousness.

She considered running away, turning away from the truth and locking it all up in a dust ridden forgotten room. Everything had come down to this. She had to face her fears. She took a deep breath and stood up. Regaining her composure she analyzed the room. She looked at the evidence before her. Carefully observing every detail of the scene. She looked at the pool of blood beneath her. That was probably where her mother had wasted her last breaths. She barely remembered the gruesome photographs of her mother's body and the details in them. She had died of exsanguination from an open wound to the heart. Whoever had done this had pierced through her chest instantly killing her.

This type of crime, it was personal…

She remembered the details of what she could from the Uchiha police report she read all of those years ago. There was no sign of force entry… So why would her mother run to this room?  
She guessed that the villain must've been someone she trusted, someone whose scent she recognized. She wouldn't have been taken by surprise. That ruled out the theory of a potential business partner being responsible for the Noa clan tragedy. Then there was that blood trail that had sprayed all over the furniture. All signs pointed to a violent struggle.

"Your mother was a tracker, correct?" Kakashi suddenly said.  
"Yeah," the other answered.  
"There was no way anyone could've snuck up on her," he repeated the conclusion that she had already made herself.  
"What are you implying…" She said with a scrunched forehead.  
"If it was someone she knew and your father was away… The only person left was your sister, or…" He looked at her and gave a step back uneasily.  
"Me?!" She exclaimed her mouth open.  
"Me?! I can't believe you would-"  
"Well-" He said sharply. "If it wasn't you the only other pers-"  
"Enough!" She snapped. Her mind racing. It couldn't be. No it wasn't true. The evidence did not add up. Suddenly her sister's face popped into her head. It had been so long since she had last thought about Miharu. She always wore a bored expression on her familiar features. Her hair was straight and a light brown color just like her mother's and brown eyes just like her father's. If she was with life she would be twenty now.

"There's no way. They found her leg. There was so much blood. She's dead!"

Their conversation flowed quickly. Both of them taking sharp guesses as to what could've happened.

"They never found her body." He said with his arms crossed over his chest as he remained pensive.  
"That doesn't mean she's alive-" she said beginning to sound distraught.  
"What about the murder weapon?"  
"I-I think I found it… Miharu's sword, in the woods-"  
"Outside of the wall," he said looking with a dead set expression.

She knew exactly what he was thinking. She just wondered if Miharu would be capable of slicing of her own leg. She sliced her own leg, staged her death, and ran away after committing the most gruesome murder of the decade.

"It just- it doesn't make sense… She had no motive and she really wasn't that skilled as a Shinnobi." She said looking down in defeat.

"Did she need a motive?"

Ryou barely remembered but in the days previous to the tragedy there seemed to be a tense aura in haunting the house. Her parents had been arguing and she remembered that one moment she had shared with her sister. They hadn't been very close in their youth seeing as Miharu had been four years older they were both always on different age stages.

But she could recall that night that she walked into her room. Miharu was planning on running away, or going far, far away. But why- she had been a only a Chunnin. She had several tasks to run around the village. Specifically focused in working in the hospital's medical ward. Her skills weren't outstanding. She was simply a skilled tracker, knew how to wield a sword and had basic knowledge of medical skills.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

 _"You think she's still out there?"_

* * *

It was around 3 AM when both retreated to sleep in their own chambers. That night Ryou found it almost impossible to sleep. Her mind was racing. The last moment when she saw her sister replayed over and over in her head. Miharu had wanted out of here- but why?

She just couldn't wrap her head around it. Sure her parents had been arguing, but it wasn't enough of a reason to murder her mother, stage her own murder and frame an innocent person.

Kakashi had left already. She didn't bother in bidding him goodbye even tho according to their deal that would be the last they saw of each other.

* * *

 _She sighed as she faced him for the last time as a friend._

 _"Anything you want to say to me?" She said with her arms crossed over her chest._

 _He looked at her once and remained silent before retreating. And just like that they were finally over._

 _Part of her wished he had said something. At least goodbye so that they would've had closure._

* * *

She couldn't believe she had gathered so much information with his help. He had been so helpful, more than any of the Uchiha's had ever been. Then again, they were better at providing moral support than actually getting their hands dirty. This was different.

It was only logical. The only person of her she that seemed to share just an equally heightened intellect was him.

Maybe with his help... she'd solve this a lot quicker than she thought...

For a minute she regretted dismissing him.

She now stood in front of her sister's room again. With a much less hesitation she reached for the knob when-

"What do you think you're doing?!" A roar echoed from the other side of the corridor. Her father stepped out of his room like a raging bull. He immediately slapped her hand away from the door.

"Ouch!" She pulled her hand back.

"There's a reason why this room has been sealed off." He snapped in a dark tone as he felt the entrance of the bedroom door.

"You are not allowed to go in-" he glared at her with his brown eyes.

"But dad- I was just investigati-"

She wants to explain to him that she could solve the puzzle. Find the missing piece. Make justice and punish whoever had torn her heart out and destroyed their family.

"Enough!" He boomed.

Sighing after realizing how harsh he had been his shoulder's dropped to his sides.

"You need to stop chasing this fantasy Ryou. Focus on what matters, the living. Besides- disturbing such a gruesome scene, it's a bad omen..." he muttered.

That same day Aru Noa had the room filled with concrete and forever shut. It's mysteries and secrets buried away with it...

* * *

A couple of weeks had transpired since the incident. And our protagonist realized that all of those who were dead, really weren't dead. They were still living in her head.

Obito forever tormenting her as a backstab her and traitor. She had done nothing but use him and in the end he had died a martyr.

Rin who only ruined Kakashi...

Her mother, who had died too young.

Her sister who... who maybe wasn't dead?

Presently she was-

"Wait-" Gai said confused as he processed everything that she had just told him.

"Are you sure you're not being too dramatic?"

'Not dramatic? Impossible' part of her thought humorously.

"Never speaking to him again? It's not like he did anything to you this time. You two were finally beginning to mend bridges," he said between slurps of his ramen.

"It's the only thing that Shisui has asked of me... I've already done terrible things to betray his confidence. Like allowing Ihim /i to stay over. It's the least I can do, and the best for everyone."

She said playing with her noodles. Already having lost her appetite for the day. She took a sip from her water.

"Could it be hay you actually miss him?"

"Gai! Don't say such things!" She protested coughing violently after almost having choked on her drink.

"Both of you are obsessed with each other. You do realize that?"

It wasn't the first time Ryou had heard this. Obito had told her something similar in another life.

"You're speaking nonsense," she said growing more and more irked and defense by the moment.

"Ryou! It's true, do not deny it," açai said getting more and more roles up. The flames of youth in his eyes began to grow ablaze. "We speak more of my eternal rival, Kakashi, than of your lover, Shisui. With the coming of youthful spring will bring the fever or love! The awakening! The realization-" he was interrupted by the loud sound of a banging. She slammed her fist in the table making the dishes rattle and even the restaurant owners turn to look at her confused.

"What is there to say about Shisui? He's perfect. He's the perfect boyfriend and we are both perfect for each other. We understand, support and make each other happy. We never have problems. The only problem is and will always be _him!"_ She rambled angrily with a red face feeling frustrated.

It couldn't be more clear. Gai realized this by her flushed expression.

"He ruffles _more_ than your feathers doesn't he?" He said with a wide grin. Eyes narrowed devilishly.

This conversation was over.

Just as she was leaving she heard a new voice greet Gai. Looking up she saw Kurenai and Asuma approaching them- well him.

"This conversation is _over_." She shook her head and slapped the money on the counter before heading out for her mission.

 _'How could Gai imply such a disgusting idea?! Ugh..!'_ She shook her head disgusted. _'Her and him? Never!'_

Then he remembered when he kissed her that one day in the graveyard. She shook her head angrily from side to side. _'As if!  
'No, no, no. Get out of my head!'_

Up to this day she had no idea why he had done that and she didn't want to know. She knew that a kiss was symbol of affection, but what type of affection could a man that has hurt so many times and has constantly gone out of his way in order to ruin her day?

It was impossible. Part of her thought that it was just another attempt to rile her up. He was so unbearable.

"You're late Bloodhound." She heard the new captain scold her when she reaches the village's gate.

"Stuff it!" She screeched. The other ANBU looked at her surprised. Shocked at her outburst and the lack of respect for their new leader.

How she wished Shisui would come on this mission. However, he has his own personal assignments to fulfill. The new captain had been appointed today and until she saw his fox mask and gray hair did she notice it was none other than- Kakashi. Seeing him just made her feel more unnerved. It was the first time he had one upped her. He had finally surpassed her.

She knew that she would never become ANBU captain. She didn't deserve it. Unlike him she did have one noticeable weakness, the fact that once she fell into a Genjutsu it was game over. There was no way that such a person could ever be responsible for the entire team. Him on the other hand, now possessed the Sharingan. A precious tool that allowed him to see through tricks and easily copy almost any jutsu.

"As your captain I don't need to remind you again Hound. Please refrain from allowing your personal problems to interfere with the missions. And next time be punctual. It's the number one rule of the Shinnobi Code" he said in a stern tone.

There went that nut case again taking about the rules. She figured he must've been enjoying his new found seniority over her.

She shot him a death glare before she slipped her own ANBU mask on her face.

"Asshole." She muttered under her breath before running ahead of him.

"I heard that…" He said more to himself.

He wondered why she was in such a terrible mood and why she had a stick up her arse? He said nothing else remaining focused on the leading his team.

Not like he could say anything personal to her anyways- after all they had an agreement. They were never to speak again. Part of her had actually been wondering how he was the day before or so. She wondered if he had gotten past his nigh terrors, she had done some reading on them and thought that perhaps a service dog would suit him well...

Of course there was no way of telling him that now. Specially now that she felt this bottled up anger bubbling inside of her.

The ANBU team, Ro, consisted on:

Hatake Kakashi, leading. Noa Ryou, following. Tenzo, a panda eyed young boy with brown long hair. And Inu, a mysterious male whom nobody knew much about.

The instructions were clear: travel to the border with the Hidden Sound village investigate whereabouts about enemies harboring illegal weapons which are smuggled in and out of the Land of Fire.

Kakashi was leading the way in front of his teammates as they made way through the forest. Thus far he hadn't said a single word to her. Holding up his right end of the deal. She remained alert. Her senses focused in. As she attempted to detect any discrepancies in the environment.

 _'That prick...'_ she thought glaring at him as he advanced in front of her. Scolding her for literally being a minute late. _'Just- who did he think he was-'_

"Enemy!" She said as the team dispersed. A handful a knives aimed at the man-cell suddenly hit.

If you are attached by rogue ninja in a mission, odds are that you are headed in the right direction.

It took only moments for the group of skilled Shinnobi to quickly repel the enemy. After all the four were skilled assassins.

Kakashi killed with his Chidori. It was then that he saw _her_ again. Rin.

He saw her killing her again and again. The same tape playing in his mind over and over and over again.

The lost look in her eyes, blood seeping out of her mouth.

"Oi!"

That voice. The vision suddenly changed. He now saw a younger Ryou, the one he had almost killed all those years ago. Just like Rin she wore a tired expression and was coughing out blood.

He froze in battle. His entire body not being able to function. He hadn't realized that an enemy blade closed in to meet with his torso. Which was why someone had called for his attention to begin with. Before he could react he saw a spark fly before his eyes. A jade blade misdirected the attack.

It was the Crystal Hound.

With her other hand without missing a best she stabbed the enemy woman with one of her crystal halo blades causing her to instantly collapse into a pool of blood. She slightly turned to face Kakashi, completely covered in blood. It was **almost** like in his vision. She removed her mask. Breathing sharp, panting.

"Snap out of it!" She barked. Her voice rang through his mind, echoing and bouncing off. It was suddenly that he snapped out of his enslaving thoughts. He killed again, and again, and again. The words still on replay in his mind. He had days of not sleeping. She had asked him never to speak to her again. They had both agreed it was in everyone's best interest. So far, they had spoken, nothing personal. Only as teammates. It would be impossible to completely ignore each other.

"Snap out of it!" She had said frustrated through gritted teeth.

The rest of the team had gathered around them. "We should camp near here." He said in a rough voice his back stiff as he gave the order amongst the many bloodied corpses. It wouldn't be long before whoever had sent the rogue ones after them came looking for their best interest. It would be best to camp nearby and wait for an ambush. That way they could instigate more about the enemy. The team nodded and they decided to camp a few yards away from the main road, after all it would be the evening soon.

He distanced himself from his team. Just like he had always done. He sat on a high tree branch where he could scope out the terrain without a worry. The other ANBU had removed their masks and were having dinner around a campfire. Ryou was interacting with Tenzo. Inu didn't say much. Kakashi was currently leafing through an epic novel. Despite remaining focused on his book he was still carefully listening to his surroundings. High on alert in case anything happened.

He wanted to sleep, he felt his eyes slowly closing, but he couldn't sleep. If he slept he would not only be haunted by his nightmares, but he couldn't let his guard down on his first mission as captain. His last mission as captain…

Well let's just say it didn't go that well.

His mind briefly flickered to Obito's last moments as he heroically died. It was so stupid. It could've been avoided.

Maybe if Rin knew how to protect herself. If Obito hadn't been so damn obsessed with her. If they had decided to act sooner. If Ryou hadn't stumbled upon them...

He stared at her as she smiled and laughed with her comrade. She was one of the few reminder's of his past. Of his mistakes and here she was, still haunting him.

Obito was dead.

Rin was dead.

Minato-sensei was dead

His father... dead.

The only consolation he had was that he was able to visit their graves. They weren't completely gone.

To make matters even worse, the other day he had gone to visit Rin's grave and found it completely destroyed. It had been shattered to dust and crumbles. He had sworn to find the monster who had disgraced her final resting place and smashed it to nothings. Whoever had done this... had no conscience. "Go to sleep... If you can."

He hadn't even noticed Ryou had snuck up on him and was now leaning against the bark of the tree in a cool fashion.

"You might be captain, but my senses are far superior than yours. I'll be able to detect if anyone or anything approaches us."

He only spared her an insignificant glare. "I will be keeping post. Return with the rest of the team Hound." He said apathetically not wanting to meet her eyes.

"No." She said stubbornly. "You go down and I'll keep watch. Can't have you freezing up in battle like you did earlier-" she scoffed.

"That is an order," he said menacingly.

She sat in the same branch. A safe distance away from him.

"What are you going to do? Snitch to the Sandaime? I'm not scared of the old man," she said childishly as she stretched her tense back. Her legs dangling in mid air, feet bouncing.

"Ryou..." he drawled growing annoyed. This always happened.

"I thought you never wanted to speak to me again." He muttered not removing his eyes away from his book.

"I'm speaking to you as a _teammate_."

 _'Sure...'_ he wanted to roll his eyes. Typical Ryou. She always found a way to bend the rules to her will and convenience. He considered standing up and leaving, but he couldn't abandon his team. And he knew that if he joined the others she wouldn't have the decency to shut her damn mouth.

"I was reading the other day- you might want to consider getting a service dog. It might help you, sleep better," she said nodding.

"Is that all?" He said coldly.

"Look!" She said in a tense tone. "You helped me make a lot of progress in my investigation. My father sealed off the room once again. It is destroyed. I'm starting to think that you're right and that my sister might be behind this," She explained. "If it weren't for you, I would still be stuck in zero. And who knows for how long I would be there chasing my own tail."

She said seriously.

"What I'm saying is- I appreciate your investigative input." She casted him a glance his hair was glowing silver in the moonlight, he still had his nose buried in his book. Something in her insides twisted.

 _'No.'_ She slammed that inner door. Gai's stupid face and his words popped into her head. _'No!'_ She shrieked internally.

"So we should investigate together, again soon." She nodded nervously, swinging her legs. "Ryou, I'm just respecting both your wishes and your dear Shisui's. You said-"

"Forget what I said!" She turned to face him. "For the first time ever. Forget everything that I said!"

He was done keeping a poker face. His eyes snapped from his novel so that they could meet hers. He still wore his ANBU mask. _As if wearing one mask wasn't enough already._ "Why can't you just ask your damn boyfriend for help?" He finally cracked.

"Because-!"

She lowered her voice when she heard Tenzo and Inu shift uncomfortably by the roots of the massive tree they were currently on. She lowered her tone, pacing her racing heart.

"Because it is my dream! It is the only thing I have ever wanted. I want to know: Who destroyed my family and what his or her justification for these unjust killings were. Shisui frowns upon it. He says my _'obsession'_ is unhealthy, that it will drive me mad. But you- you're just as broken and damages as I am. You _understand."_

She looked down. This had been a stupid idea.

He stood up. Removed his fox mask and put his book away sticking one hand in his pocket.

She was about to jump below and return to the team when she saw him standing besides her. The crescent moon reflected on his eyes and slightly illuminated the scene. He extended his hand out, offering it for support. She looked at him surprised.

"You're right," he said gently.

She looked at him confused. There was something different about him. About the night. She still felt her anger towards him twisting in her insides. That feeling of anxiety that made her nerves jump and her ears turn hot.

"Two halves of a whole." He said more to himself as she took his hand and he helped her up.

"What?" She blinked confused.

"You and I. We are two halves or a broken whole."

She kept her steady, green eyes fixed on his dark and crimson ones.

He might have appeared cool on the outside but inside, his heart was pounding against his rib cage. He saw her wide eyed look. It was now or never. He attempted to compose himself so he wouldn't blabber incoherently like the complete dumbass that he was. He grasped her arms tightly.

"What are you doing?" She asked startled. Not removing herself from his touch.

"I look at you. I can't help it" His grip became stronger.

She knew what was coming, and she was dreading it.

"Kakashi, I don't want this-" she protested, still not struggling against his grip. She shook her head slightly, eyes wide as she attempted to walk away from him. This had been a bad idea.

"Do you think I want this?" He inched dangerously closer.

"I don't want to hear it-" She turned away from him in denial. Their conversation flowed like a match. For every action there was an immediate reaction.  
"But you do. Why else would've you have come up here? Why else would you still be standing here? You always do the opposite of what you mean!"

She could feel the asphyxiating tension between them. He was right.  
Suddenly, Gai's words came to her head.

"Everyone that I love or have ever cared about is gone" He continued.

 _'Uh-Oh'_ there it was. The L word...

"My father, my comrades, my sensei… Everyone I get close to dies."

His hands snaked up to hold both of her shoulders.

"I don't know when it started-"

"No-" She attempted to silence him.

She could anticipate the dreadful bomb that was coming. She raised her fists and pressed them against his chest in an attempt to get him away. To create some distance between them, but somehow she wasn't able to find it in her..

"-not the faintest idea of when it will end-"

"No, no..." she felt a chill run down her spine as his hands finally reached her face. She could feel his calloused hands holding her face. She wanted to shut her eyes. To shut him out.

"You. I'm in love with you."

An atomic bomb had been dropped. She felt as if someone had knocked the air out of her gut.

"No." She managed to utter. Her blood rushing to her head.  
"You don't!" She said raising her voice, her pulse racing. Chest aching.  
"No- you don't get that." He cut her off. "You don't have the right to tell me who I love or don't-"  
"Stop saying that! Kakashi! I have a boyfriend-!" She exclaimed.  
"I don't care about Shisui." He snapped. "What matters is _us_."

There was no turning back. At this point he didn't care if Shisui grilled him with those malignant eyes of his. He'd take him.

"Don't do this." She finally managed to find the strength to push him away from her.

He lunged towards her attacking her with his lips. He lowered his mask in a split second and held her head in place from the nape of her neck. Her mind went blank. She felt lightheaded. He shut his eyes tightly waiting for the smack, but it never came. She was about to give in-

"I know you feel it too, that's why you always keep coming right back."

She opened her mouth to protest. He once again silenced her with his bare lips. His mouth brushed against hers ever so lightly. She felt something come over her. Her stomach fluttering, knees becoming weak. there was so much passion that he could communicate with just one touch. As if he had been waiting for this, savoring the long expected moment.  
'This was... _nice._ It was _different._..'  
She couldn't believe she was doing this. Even thinking this. He was so close to her that even if he stopped she wouldn't be able to see his nude face. His raw expression. He remained closed. His forehead pressed against hers.

"I've hurt you so many times. I'm done making mistakes... This is the right thing. I have never been more certain about anything. I've wasted so much time already... Ryou, tell me you don't feel the same. Come on! Tell me you haven't thought about it!"

 _He was right._

Gai was right. Obito had been right. No matter how long she had attempted to suppress her emotions- they were there and _it_ was going to happen.  
She suddenly felt overcome by a rush of lust. She reached for his dark shirt clenching it tightly in her fist. She didn't dare move. Even breath. His arm slinked down to her waist as he held her close, pressing his body against hers.  
Not removing her eyes from his she slowly pulled him in for one final kiss...

* * *

AN: Ah! I'm so bad at writing romantic scenes .  
If anyone has any recommendations on how to improve let me know haha. I appreciate reviews both good and bad! Thank you for reading! *Heart*


	18. Chapter 18

_AN: So sorry for the late update, I have pieced some plot twist I needed to take care of so I'm excited to see the story progress! Let me know what you think.  
This chapter might be a little dull, but the next one is going to be cray cray. ****_

* * *

 **18**

 **Age: 18**

Ryou stood by the window of the hospital room. She held a newborn baby close to her arms as she gently rolled her weight lulling the child to sleep. The child had a pink face and a little brown hair growing on the top of his head. It was his first day of life and its parents were completely ecstatic. 

"He's adorable." Kurenai cooed hovering over the newborn as well, touching his petite, cherub hand. "Yeah." Asuma agreed his eyes slightly wide. "I can't believe I'm an uncle."

"He's a strong boy Saisho-sensei," Ryou said handing the child back to his father. "What are you naming him?" Raito, the Shinnobi who had become the newest member of team Saisho, asked. 

Saisho-sensei looked weary from lack of sleep and held his son back in his arms, "Well, my wife and I thought about it for a long time- I'm afraid our names aren't very creative so my father suggested Konohamaru in honor of the Leaf village. It has a nice ring to it. Right?" 

His former students nodded. Our protagonist was carrying a bouquet of pink peonies that she had brought for Saisho's wife who was sleeping in the same room behind a curtain for some privacy. 

"Where do I put these?" She asked her sensei who had an armful with his child. "Ah… Those are beautiful." He sweat dropped. "I'm afraid my wife has a nasty allergy to pollen, flowers included. I'll tell her about them. It's best you take them home where they can be appreciated," he said with a grateful smile anyways.  
 _'So who can appreciate them? My absent father? Or the ghost of my dead mother?'_ She felt like saying. Regardless, she nodded and sat by to her former sensei, his newborn and the rest of the team. Her eyes quickly flickered to Kurenai whom she tried to flash a small smile too. Their relationship had improved into a per say decent one since their argument several years ago… 

Ryou had learned how to maintain her acquaintances at bay. I was simple:  
 _Keep secrets from them._

Keep secrets from everyone. What people don't know won't hurt them. Ignorance had become bliss. For a minute she looked at the baby's face. So innocent, not a single care in the world. 

"Welcome to the world." She wanted to say to him. 

The only person she couldn't lie to was Shisui. Not that she hadn't. She had already used her one lying pass with him. Using it more than once would only prove to be disastrous and would tangle them both in a malicious web of lies. Ryou wanted to continue the investigation of her mother and sister's murders, but more than often she found herself blankly starting at the sealed room before her.  
She was afraid. Afraid of what she might encounter past those sealed walls. It also didn't help that Shisui disapproved of her obsession with the murder and other occult crimes in the city. 

"It's unhealthy" he would say, or "That's a job for the Uchiha task force. Leave it to the experts, they'll know what to do."

 _Clearly, they didn't._

Besides that, not much had changed. She would spend most of her days training with Shisui and his cousin Itachi. 

To this day Ryou felt she was the one to blame for Obito's death. If she hadn't crossed paths with team Minato that day maybe Obito would still be here, and even Rin… She felt her fist clench at her sides in rage. 

For Rin- she didn't feel pity. 

She wasn't glad she was dead, but at the same time perhaps Ryou's world was a better place without her. She had developed a new hobby. Just like most of her present endeavors it was a secret. It was just something to blow steam at the end of the day. Her nightly activity consisted on hauling a hammer and smashing Rin's insignificant grave. She would stand before it and glare at her name. It's not like she was remembered fondly. Rin hadn't accomplished anything great in her brief lifetime. In a few years her name would be completely forgotten and her grave would become obsolete.

However, for some reason- a week or two later it was rebuilt. Each time built bigger and stronger. 

Ryou would still visit Obito's grave. At least once a year. She would look at her mother's from a far with longing. More than ten years later and she had still not figured out just what had happened that dreadful day. She had to admit her faith was faltering she was beginning to loose hope. So much evidence had been lost. So many files had been lost. So many witnesses had gone missing. Maybe it had been the perfect crime. Still had no murder weapon, no witness, no suspects. One body was missing and the other was bone corpse buried seven feet underneath.

When she visited the cemetery she would sometimes see Kakashi there. They would simply avoid each other. There were no death glares, no acknowledging nods in each others directions. She didn't even want to think about him. She had put him in a small mental box, locked him away and tossed him to the darkest corner of her mind. This time she didn't even feel the need to make things right. Things were best for the both of them this way.

Everything that involved him. Memories, events, activities. All of it. Both the good and the bad. She didn't even want to remember what had transpired the last time they had interacted. Just the thought of it made her stomach twist in knots and her throat swell. 

Their eyes would not meet during their ANBU missions. He seemed to have returned to his dark days. Bags weighed under his tired eyes and his killing had become merciless.

"It's you! The Copy Cat Ninja!" enemies would cry at his sight.  
"Keep on doing that and you'll become famous!" other ANBU team members would pat him on the back.

His mood had become foul and he had isolated himself more than ever.  
It seemed like the only one who still had any contact with him was Gai. Who had made it his new mission to restore Kakashi back to his full youthfulness. 

Lost in thought Ryou barely managed to dodge the pair of hospital doctors rushing a patient inside one of the emergency rooms. With her body pressed up against the wall she only managed to see a handful of grey hair in the hospital bed that they were carrying. _'Some poor elder…'_ She said shrugging off her sudden startle. She took a step and then- that's when she realized- that's when she smelled his scent.  
That emergency patient was Kakashi. Almost tripping on her own steps she rushed following after the doctors. From the small window on the hospital room's door, she saw he had a breathing mask which covered his face and he was completely unconscious as the doctors quickly removed the rest of his shirt.

She observed the scene cautiously. A burdensome weight formed on her chest. She didn't realize that the color had wholly drained from her face. The lifeline monitor wasn't beeping. A long flat beep was the only sound echoing in her head. The rest was all dust noise. The medical ninja scurried around the room. They quickly painted symbols and signs on his body and all united in holding a seal together at the same time. His body lay limp on the hospital bed. some reason, she was unable to glue her prying eyes away from the disturbing scene. 

_'We are not good for each other. All we do is hurt each other. We are like poison and venom together. Hurt. Think of the hurting. Think of the pain. Think of Shisui!'_

She unconsciously a step back and collapsed against the pale wall in the hallway. The cold floor was jus as numb as her. She held the flowers in her arms simply starring blankly at the opposing white wall before pained, dark eyes briefly flashed through her memory. 

"Miss you are not allowed to be here!" a nurse suddenly came rushing to the side of the young woman on the hallway. Her expression remained as if in some sort of trance.

"Miss!" The nurse repeated grabbing onto the girl's arm pulling her up to her feet.

The girl still had a blank look in her eyes and began walking away with the nurse, unsure of where she was going or what she was doing.

For a moment she looked over her shoulder. She looked at the door where he had been brought in for intensive decided she wasn't going to think about it. 

* * *

White.

Everything was white.

Kakashi blinked twice adjusting his strained vision. His body ached. He was immobilized. There shouldn't be pain in death. He realized he had been starring at the ceiling and felt completely ridiculous. A breathing mask was covering his face and he sighed as he relaxed into his hospital pillow. He shouldn't have overused his Sharingan it had really taken a toll on his body due to excessive use. 

"Ah! You're finally awake." It was his nurse, checking on his vital signs. "Your body is somewhat under a paralysis. You should regain movement within the next couple of coming days. Just don't over do it. Your heart almost stopped. With time it could even take a toll on your vital organs." She explained carefully. 

He took in the information and simply closed his eyes. The nurse left the room. The only noise greeting his ears was his heart monitor. He enjoyed the rare moment of peace.

It was then that he heard the door once again open. Assuming it was his nurse he remained stiff and with his eyes closed. He heard her footsteps approach him and then suddenly stop. He half opened one of his eyes and was not surprised by what he saw. Of course. _She_ stood next to his bed arranging a pair of gardenia flowers in a vase next to his bed. She seemed to be oblivious to his observing gaze.  
It was such a rare sight, Ryou being so close to him and appearing so vulnerable. It was so typical of her to come back to him. He feared that one day she wouldn't…  
Maybe that's why he was so infatuated with her, because he knew that deep, deep inside she was always at his side. Just like right now.  
His only question was-… he wondered just what terrified her so much

The flowers she was arranging read "Sarutobi family," he guessed they hadn't originally been for him.

His hand itched as he strained to stretch his fingers. He felt as if his entire body was being weighted down by an incessant force. He struggled, it was then that he finally touched her skin. His index middle finger simply brushed a side of her hand and there it was- that familiar spark. She jumped in her skin audibly gasping as she turned to look at him with shocked eyes. Her expression was the one of a child caught in the middle of a shenanigan. Despite that her permanently narrowed eyes held no ill intention. He noted that her attire had changed, it appeared to be heavily influenced by the Uchiha's traditional robes. He couldn't help but wonder how much longer it would be before she was Shisui Uchiha's.

"R-Ryou…" he croaked throat a strained word. He looked at her with his one visible onyx eye.

Before he could even commence a sentence she hustled out of the book.

"Ryou…" He called again, but it was fruitless since she was already gone. He wondered when was the next time she would be this close.

In another year or two perhaps?


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: warning, sexual harassment triggers up ahead.  
**

* * *

 **19  
Age: 20**

 _'I'm dead.'_ Ryou had began saying her final prayers.

She looked around the hovel she was in anxiously. Her chest was rising up and down violently. Her hands clawed at the ground before her nail beds bleeding as she did.  
She looked over her shoulder painfully. There really was no way around this one. The sick flute melody continued playing on torturous repeat.

Her last mission had seem simple when assigned to her.  
Go to the Sound village and get rid of the target. She was supposed to get rid of some sick incestuous fuck who kept on raping his daughters to give him more daughters and his sons were mysteriously disappearing.  
However, the only thing she wasn't counting on was Sound Genjutsu…

"I bet you can close your eyes Hound, but you can't stop yourself from listening!" And with that the villain continued playing a silent flute which locked trapped her in a powerful mind Genjutsu.

Her hands trembled. She had to get out of here. In the many scenarios where Ryou had pictured her death, none involved dying at the hands of a sick pervert with a flute. There was still much to do, she couldn't give up. She felt as if a brick was pressing down on her forehead as she focused all of her energy in ridding of this illusion. Her teeth tightly clenched from the strenuous effort.

"You know what I'm going to do to you? You filthy little bitch." The man crept behind her. She could feel his filthy hands crawling up her calves. He was a pink man with eyes that seemed to pop out of his unshaven, dirty face.  
"I am going to use this knife to torture, kill you, and then fuck you with." He hissed. "Or well," He proceeded to loudly place a humiliated smack on posterior. "But since I'm nice, you can choose the order." He added before laughing sadistically. She fought back the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes.

 _'Focus, focus, focus!'_

Both of her hands had been stabbed under the same knife to the floor. Her legs were fully spread apart.

"Aw, don't tell me that I made "The Great Ryou the Impaler" cry?" He cooed moving his hands up to her arms. Unsure of what to do, Ryou tried running. She knew it was a done case. She wasn't even going to bother with begging. She felt a chill breeze her back as the man tore open the back of her Jounin vest. His hands wondered down her back.  
She did her best to attempt and ignore the sensation.

 _'This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real…'_ She attempted to seek comfort in this nightmare.

"I will savor each one of your screams and pleads as if it was one of my own seed's."

In that moment the ambiance in the Genjustu shifted. It became even more terrifying than before. The air felt cold. The house collapsed around them. Our protagonist only clenched her eyes shut tighter as her tangled hair whipped around her face. A bloody sky hovered over the both of them. It was then that she realized the man had stopped moving his wandering hands. Once again looking over her shoulder she noted his confused expression.  
Her senses were numbed by this illusion, everything that happened wasn't actually happening. 

It was then that she felt a strange senation boiling in the pits of her stomach. She could feel it gurgling almost like a heartburn sensation. Then she felt it coming up. Creeping up her trachea. The bile. She opened her mouth and out spilled out a long black beak.

She couldn't even muster a proper reaction. Her mouth opened even wider and a black raven flew out. She looked at it horrified. Just what the hell was happening. The raven flew to the skies in perfect circles over her body and the villain's. Many more suddenly joined it. They cawed viciously as they hovered.

"What-what the hell did you do?!" The man suddenly screeched. A feeling of panic and fear suddenly consuming him. Her eyes had turned into abysmal slits. Was? Was she doing this? It certainly wasn't the man. The raven she had spit out suddenly approached her and in its crimson eyes she recognized the Sharingan.

This did not aid in her confusion.

As if from a nightmare the flock of birds suddenly dove in the man's direction and began to peck its eyes out. He flayed his entire body as he attempted to fight off the hostile fowls  
The largest one of them, the one with the red eyes suddenly bounced up to her. Throttling in its little bird walk as he approached her face. It curiously cocked its head and looked at her right in the eye.

And just like that it was all gone. The darkness had washed away. The birds and their loud cawing were gone. Just like that she was back in reality. She immediately brought her hands to her broken arm. She hissed as reality hit her. Before her stood Itachi carefully observing her with his pair of ruby red eyes. He wore a Jounin outfit and his eyes casted down on the man that was on the floor immobilized. It's face was fixed in a horrified expression. Eyes were peeled wide open and blank as he starred at the sealing.

"A thousand deaths are not enough to punish what this man has done to you," he stated apathetically holding his hand into a tiger hand sign. Without any hesitation and with anger in his eyes he buried his dagger into the man's throat as slowly as possible. In reaction to the pain he returned to reality. He might have been alive, but his soul was dead.

"Kill me," he pleaded weakly. Just like that he was done for.

"Ryou," Itachi turned to face the woman that sat on her knees in the filthy ground. She cradled her injured arm and hugged her shirt in an attempt to cover herself. "Are you alright?" He asked concerned, despite it, his face remained stoic. That was Itachi for you, serious as ever.  
"I broke my arm. Thank you for saving me Itachi. If you had been here a minute later- well.." she sighed.

He simply nodded and began removing his Jounin vest. "Here," he stretched out his hand offering the green vestment. She thanked him once again and covered herself. Flinching she maneuvered her injured arm through the opening.

"We should get going." Was all he said.  
"What are you doing here?" She asked intrigued as they left the Sound village. Ryou suggested that they finish the mission and Itachi agreed.

The boy was truly a prodigy, At just 13 he had already been promoted to ANBU captain. Shisui had been so proud of him. They had even held a celebration for him at the Dango shop.

"Genjutsu?" He asked. "That's your weakness." It sounded more like a statement rather than a question.  
"Shisui has tried to teach me how to fend them off on several occasions but he performs with mediocre illusions. Says he couldn't torture me with a _real_ Genjutsu."

The man's home was not far away. In his broken down home he kept his many daughters locked inside of one room. The room had no windows and a single piss pot for all fifteen of them. They slept on hay mattresses in the cold floor. Some of his daughter's were impregnated with his incestuous self. Some of the children would be taken to a nearby orphanage. The women cried about the man who would take away their children. They didn't know who he was. All they knew was that he would take all of their sons and brothers away.

"I don't know about you, but this smells like Orochimaru…" Ryou muttered to Itachi as they got ready to return to the village. Ryou had bandaged her arm and kept it hoisted up with a clothe band. "You've heard of his experiments as well?" Itachi turned to look at her surprised. That was top secret confidential information.

"I make it my business to know," she said with her lips drawn into a tight thin line.

They advanced in comfortable silence until Itachi suddenly spoke.

"Ryou, I can train you in Genjutsu." he offered.  
Ryou was a little surprised, nonetheless she agreed. "Just don't make me vomit another bird," she half laughed.

He looked at her expecting her terms and conditions.

"I hope you accept a weekly payment of dango." She offered.  
"Shisui-san won't mind?"  
"Of course not, after all we are going to be family soon," she grinned at his broadly.

The gem wrapped around her finger gleamed in the setting sun.


	20. Chapter 20

**20**

Her free hand knotted and tangled over his muscular back. They rolled the balled knots that tensed up Shisui's back.

"Are you stressed?" She asked as she massaged his back carefully. Lately he had been under so much stress. "Yes," he snapped exasperated. "And now that you're injured even more." He said grabbing her hand and placing an urgent kissing on it.

Ryou had been happier than she had in a really long time. Her life finally seemed to be coming together. Shisui wasn't ANBU captain anymore meaning that he had plenty of free time for her. Little by little he had been "helping her" as he had put it. He had been aiding her in letting go of her past and her grudges. Her family's mystery would be no more. She would no longer be haunted by her past of the clandestine homicide. Still something inside of her ached at the thought of forgetting around the mystery. It would keep her up at night, peeled eyed and eyes boring into the ceiling. There would always be a void in her that needed to be filled by the unsolved answer aching to be riddled and solved.

"I know that we will both be more at ease when you start staying home," he said to her with a smile. "Right…" She said softly. Her eyes looking down at her lap.

Right… There was that too. Giving up her career. She would be a wonderful make-home wife. "It was for the best" as Shisui had put it. All he wanted was the best for her. Certainly he wasn't equivocated on his suggestions.

"Come on. Let's go get some tea. My treat." He said once again reaching for her hand and giving it a tight squeeze. Despite his over whelming stress there was a bright smile on his features.

Both ninja made way to the teashop holding hands, her massive engagement ring gleamed on her hand weighting it down. She felt as if all of the eyes in Konohagure were captivated by the gleaming red gem.  
It was then that she suddenly caught a familiar scent in the air. Almost as if escaping she took large steps almost ripping out his arm as she dragged him inside of the tea shop.  
Shisui didn't even have to ask. He already knew what was going on. It had been a while now that he realized that every single time they encountered _him_. Ryou would become growingly anxious and defensive. Regardless of the situation she would attempt to avoid him no matter the cost.  
Whenever he would ask why she wanted to avoid she would simply retort that he reminded her of sadder days. A blatantly lie. He had decided not to push it, he knew that they had an _interesting_ history.

It was hen that he strolled in. He casually walked into the teashop. He couldn't pretend he hadn't noticed the happy couple sitting in a nearby table together.

Oh, how he hated seeing them together. It nauseated him. Every time he ran into them he could feel his heart drop. It saddened him even more to see turn away and keep a blank expression as if he didn't exists. As if what they had had, had never happened. As if she didn't feel just like he did. He made eye contact with Shisui. In order to be polite he simply raised his hand up in a greeting. Shisui did the same. She didn't even bother spearing him a glance.

"Oi Shisui-san, Ryou." He decided to approach them. "I guess the rumors are true." He trailed off looking at her hand, or the massive ring on it. "Congratulations on your engagement." He said in a dull tone not taking his eyes off her. She remained stoical still not meeting his one visible eye.

Shisui reached for her free uninjured hand and held it in his once again. He tangled his fingers with hers. The large red stone gleaming under the restaurant light. That was no ordinary ring, if Kakashi had to take a guess he'd bet that was a red diamond. Shisui noted the growing tension in the air and just how uncomfortable his fiancée had become. He opted to thank Kakashi kindly and terminate the interaction. The other simply went away.

It was only logical for her to choose him.

In the latest years Ryou had controversially opened herself to the entire Uchiha clan. He didn't know just how welcoming they had been. After all, they are not to keen in strangers marrying into the clan.  
She was always seen hanging around Shisui, Itachi and other members of the clan.  
It made sense- soon her name would be Ryou Uchiha and she would marry the prodigy of the clan with one of the most powerful names not only in the city or the Fire Nation, but in the entire continent. He figured the only reason they had allowed for the engagement to go through was due to her vast wealth.

Everyone in Konoha knew about the engagement it had been on the front page of the Sunday edition of the newspaper. Kakashi had no doubt he would make her extremely happy. Shisui would worship her like she deserved, and together they would conceive the following generation of Uchiha prodigy, curly haired ninja children with blazing red, Sharingan eyes and thick eyelashes. Even if he pictured the perfect life he would give her, he just- well, he couldn't see her living it.

He sighed and turned back on them one last time.

As long as she was happy… It's not like he would ever be able to offer her anything better. After all he was only a an average shinnobi. A tool designed for killing and that would always be his life.

"Are you happy?" Shisui asked looking into the lime green eyes that he had come to adore. "Very," She retorted with a perfect smile. He once again kissed her hand, bringing it close to his face.

Shisui's proposal had been rather sweet. They had been dating for what seemed forever and one simple afternoon they were having Miso soup in his house. He appeared to be nervous about something.

* * *

 _"Don't you wish we could eat miso soup like this together every day?" He asked with a sheepish grin._

"I mean- we kind of do," she spoke slowly, eating her miso soup thoughtfully. They had almost been dating for ten years. A ridiculous amount of time.

 _"But every day." He emphasized. She couldn't see his hand tensely fingering the ring in his pocket. She looked at him with a peculiar look.  
"You want to eat miso soup every single day of your life?"_

"Yes-Uh I mean no," he said running a hand through his curly hair anxiously.  
"I mean with you- I want to eat with you every day, and spend every single day of my life with you," he said with a beaming smile pulling out the ring from his pocket. Ryou dropped her spoon into her soup in shock, her eyes wide. She didn't even notice that the soup had splashed everywhere.

"Will you marry me?"

 _She said yes._

* * *

"We should take some tea for Itachi and Sasuke." Ryou suggested thoughtfully. After all they would be her family soon enough.

Shisui agreed and they made way back to the Uchiha compound where they were greeted by most members. Even if Ryou wasn't a part of the clan she was treated very highly just due to her associations with Shisui (and mountains of money she owned).

"Ew tea!" Sasuke cringed when they arrived at Itachi's parent's house.  
"Come here," Ryou said motioning the child to come over. "Your brother spoils you too much." She said with a grin.  
Sasuke pouted and crossed his arms, "I don't even see my brother anymore. He never wants to help me train or play with me." He said with a small frown.  
"Well lucky you, I have a surprise for you." With that she opened the hand in her uninjured arm revealing several pieces a large candy wrapped in colorful patterns. She was expecting him to greedily take it and run away.  
"Ew! I hate sweets!" the child protested.

Ryou rolled her eyes. "Spoiled brat," she muttered under her breath.

"Thank you for the tea." Itachi said with a sigh and a content smile. "It was Ryou's idea. She thought of you while we were at the teashop." Shisui explained.  
"I mean, it's one of the few things I can do to thank my teacher in order to thank him for his lessons." She said slightly bowing to her Genjutsu sensei.

Itachi nodded "Yes, about that…" He trailed off.  
She looked up and got lost in his crimson eyes. And just like that she was elsewhere sitting in a room the color of blood.  
Ravens were cawing and flying everywhere in the room in circles around her. Some even flew towards her and began pecking and tugging at her hair.

"Control it Ryou…" Itachi's voice echoed in the empty space.

She tried her best to clap both of her hands together, which was hard enough with her broken arm. She focused chakra to the soles of her feet. The ravens continued jabbing and crowing. The pain was almost unbearable.  
"Control it!" Itachi's voice echoed through her head in a harsher tone.  
It felt like a couple of hours had passed, but in reality it had just been about a minute.

Ryou instantly collapsed to the side seeking for support in Shisui. He barely managed to catch her, she was heaving and her breathing was harsh.

"You're almost there Ryou. You have to keep on pushing." Itachi said nonchalantly.

 _'Easier said than done…'_ She thought with a scoff.

* * *

Later in the evening she returned to her home. She was slightly surprised to find her father in her room laying down on her bed.

"Dad?" She asked curious as to why he was in her rom.  
"I'm really going to miss you." He said sitting up.  
"You shouldn't. The Uchiha compound is nearby, I'll be close." She reassured him sitting besides him.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.  
"Tell me- what am I going to do in this huge house al by myself?"  
"You should sell the house." She insisted. "It's a waste of space and good revenue."  
"I've considered it…" He paused. "But I can't." He said ominously. "This house holds too many secrets. Too much history has happened here." He explained slowly. Ryou was confused, just what was he talking about?

"You mean the…" She began. She hadn't thought about that in a long time. In her mind the image of her sister sealed room suddenly came to mind.

"No." He said sharply interrupting her. "I mean-" His tone changed to a softer one. "There's more than that. I never told you- showed you. But I think you're ready. Follow me." He instructed.

The woman followed her father to their backyard, and at the end of the property there was a massive memorial rock. The rock was three times taller than her father and the clan signed was carved in the middle. At the very top it held an oval crystal gem which looked more like an amethyst eye. The crystal eye gleamed vibrantly with the setting sun behind it. Next to the memorial were several violet peculiar flowers growing. They were Autumn Crocus flowers.

They were so pretty, Ryou was about to approach them, even if they held a peculiar smell which was not sweet-

"I wouldn't touch those if I were you. Those are poisonous." Aru said suddenly. Ryou regained her composure and stood up with her back as straight as an arrow next to the her father.

She saw her father raise his hand up and focus a small amount of chakra into his palm. He maneuvered his hand and aimed it to a small hole in the center of the family insignia. She noticed that a small shiny crystal had appeared on his palm and was reflecting the light of the setting sun into that one empty tiny hole in the clan monument.

A moment transpired, however, nothing occurred.

Ryou looked around expecting magnificent to appear before them.  
"Nothing is happening-" she frowned disappointed. She was totally taken back when the monument parted moving in reverse only to reveal a secret pathway below the ground.

They both descended down the stairs and stepped into the lair. Ryou starred in awe at the walls. Many beautiful crystal decorations, clan crest and symbols decorated the walls which glowed with the reflection of a candle her father held in his hands.

"W-What is this place?" She asked in awe, one of her hands caressed the rough walls in the underground.  
"This was Hiroko Noa's base." He turned to look at her perplexed expression. "Do you remember that name?"  
"Yeah-" she nodded as she racked her brain for her ancestor's story. "He was the founder of our clan. Gave the First Hokage a mountain of money to found the village."  
"In that you are correct," Aru nodded.

They both turned to look at a framed painting that hung against one of the dimly lit walls. Ryou carefully analyzed the portrait. There was something… odd about it. Something unsettling, but she couldn't put her finger in the why…

In the painting was a serious man with copper, light brown hair who wore a thin, golden band across his forehead and over his bangs. It appeared to be made out of a gold thread and two small gems hung on the loose sides framing his face. His hair was wispy and stuck out in two thick strands pointing away from his face and one that covered his forehead. The rest of his hair which stuck out in all direction and was being held up in a tall pony tail. His eyes were the same shape as Ryou's and her father's. They were painted a bright violet color and were permanently narrowed with dark, prominent bottom and top eyelashes. He wore an elaborate necklace wit many gems and an old fashioned armor with the clan insignia over his gray robes.

Her eyes were completely zoned in on the painting. She didn't know why it bothered her so much.

"This is where Hiroko would gather to craft his precious jewelry. It was also the clan's hideout during the First and Second Shinnobi wars." He explained.  
Ryou's eyes remained fixed on the many carvings on the walls. There were some faded symbols that looked like simple trees, they were just circles with the tree trunk rooting below, but why did it look so familiar…  
"Why would he carve his jewelry here? I mean- you do it in the crafting room in the house."

Aru shoved both of his hands into his pockets.

"I'm afraid the Noa clan has always had enemies. The value of our crystals have sprouted the seed of greed in the hearts of other men and women.  
Some of our members have been enslaved and worked to death by their captors." He stopped for a moment, his eyes glancing down at the dusty floor. "There was even a point in time in which brothers decided to kill brothers."

Ryou's eyes went wide. She wouldn't believe it. "But- Why- Why would anyone-" She shook her head.

"The less crystals there are out there the more previous. Less of a supply, right?" Aru sighed as if telling the story had aged him.

He looked tired, her on the other hand. The gears were barely beginning to start turning. She didn't know if it was incredulous so suggest the thought.

"Do you… Do you think that's what happened with Miharu?" She asked meekly standing in the darkness of the underground room. "They thought she could make crystals and somebody took her?" She could feel a pulsating headache beginning to form.

That made no sense. She cradled her broken arm closer. Miharu couldn't craft crystals. If anything they would've taken her own father.

Aru starred at his daughter for a moment. He thought of choosing his words carefully.

"Miharu did not have the power to create crystals. She tried endlessly night after night, loved the damn things… She took more after your mother and was more of a Sensor." He said before walking deeper into the lair.  
"But wait- if Miharu was such a good sensor. You'd think she would sense an intruder in the house, the day she was taken, right?" she pushed suddenly stopping in her tracks.

 _That could only mean-_

"Ryou- as much as it hurts me. This was almost 10 years ago. You have to let go. I have accepted Miharu's death as well as Natsume's. The Uchiha police did everything they could, and if it was impossible to solve, well there is nothing we can do."

She had to have known who it was. Perhaps mother could've been caught of guard, but a Chunnin. But why-why- why would anybody kill them. The question now was if the intended victim was Natsume… or Miharu…

"That's exactly what it is…" Aru rambled. "The police did such a shitty job, all the evidence is lost and the case is still unsolved."

He eyed her warily.

"We need a new police captain." She concluded. "One that won't give up on cases and will investigate them until finding the truth and will bring justice to the people." She said in a determined tone. A light bulb went off in her head before she sprinted out of the room.  
"Wait- Ryou. Before you leave, you can always come into this room. For shelter, to study, it will serve for whatever purpose you desire." He shouted after his daughter. "Yeah, Thanks!" She shouted rushing out of the underground.

Ryou made way back to the Uchiha compound and was about to approach the Uchiha Police building, when she fortunately saw the captain locking the building's door from the outside.

"Captain! Wait!" She waved at him with her free hand as she jogged towards him. "Good Afternoon captain." She said bowing respectfully.  
The captain was an angry looking man with typical Uchiha features. Dark eyes and dark hair, there was a pair of scowl marks under his chin indicating that he often frowned.

"Captain Fugaku, right?" She asked catching her breath.  
"Yes. Ryou Noa, correct? Shisui's promised bride." He stated as he eyed her pompously. "What business do you have with me?" He cut over to the conversation rather quickly and in a rude tone.

This was the best idea she had had in a long time. It was a win-win. She would get to have hands on experience solving the dirtiest, grimiest crimes of the village. It would also grant her access into the files of-  
But Shisui wouldn't be happy with her decision. She hesitated before speaking, when she noticed Fugaku was walking away from her shaking his head.

 _'Oh, to hell with it!'_

"Captain. I was wondering if I could work for you, at the police department. I have a really good eye for detective work, and I-" He didn't even bother raising up his hand to stop her from making a fool out of herself. His eyes were menacing and threatened her with a venomous gaze.

"You are not an Uchiha." He spat out as simple as that. "I'm afraid not." He added to his discrimination statement and casually walked away.  
"But I will be soon!" She shouted after him persistently.  
"You do not posses the keen eyes we do." He said sparring her a side glance. "Perhaps not-" she continued pressing in a determined tone. "But I do have a pair of very developed senses. I can see from a good distance and very close into objects. I have very good hearing and a one in a kind sense of smell-"  
"So, how are you any different from a dog?" He carelessly insulted.

That was a low blow.

"I am a recognized ANBU Black Op of the Leaf Village. I am also known across nations as "The Hound", "The Crystal Hound" or "Ryou the Impaler." She said began to feel the anger boiling in her. She stood her ground, feet apart.  
"I didn't ask for your resume. Now if you excuse me you are wasting my time."

And with that he turned around and proceeded walking.

"Wait!"

She wasn't going to give up just like that. Ryou suddenly teleported in front of him.

"I see you've been learning my nephew's techniques…" He mumbled. "If you claim I'm wasting your time, then I have a relevant question." She said breathlessly. "Why wasn't the Noa case pursued any further? The murder was never found, a motive was never discovered either, why?" She asked standing as tall as she could.  
"Lack of evidence." He hissed and stepped to the side walking around the girl once again.  
"There would've been more evidence if you had actually bothered to look!" She shouted after him.

He then froze on his heels and turned to completely face her, just right before entering the Uchiha compound.

"My first impression of you is not a good one. I have honestly no idea what my nephew is doing with you or why he would like to stain the prestigious clan name by sharing it to you. But before we meet again I will tell you one last thing: You will never be an Uchiha. You will never understand us. Our traditions or the way we think. So don't even bother getting comfortable because the clan does not welcome you."

Ryou's mouth was open her eyes wide as the man walked away to his home. If there was one thing Ryou had noticed with her days of hanging out with Shisui and his cousins was- Uchihas marry Uchihas. It was rather incestuous to marry your distant cousins, but it was the only way of preserving the blood pure and their precious kekkegenkai Sharingan in their blood.  
That's why they all looked the same. Years of inbreeding had made them they're own unique breed.

Ryou clenched her free uninjured fist tightly in the hand. There was no way in hell she was going to allow things to remain this way.

* * *

"Hokage-sama." She said standing at the foot of the Hokage's bed.  
"Ryou… What the f-" The elderly man placed a hand against his chest terrified. "Do you know what time in the evening it is?!" He barked almost having a heart attack.

It was like 12:00 AM. Not even late in Ryou time.

"Yeah." She said dully.  
"What are you doing in my house?" He said picking up his covers of his lonely King bed.

"I will be the new captain of the Uchiha police." Was all she said.  
"Is that a statement or-?" He asked confused, still getting a grip on reality. "You will make me captain of the Uchiha police. Fugaku Uchiha is a mediocre captain. Commands his officer dogs with an iron fist, but only in easy cases. The ones that interest him." She explained carefully.  
"Ryou, I've told you plenty of times before that dealing with the Uchiha is out of my hands. They have they're own hierarchy and commandments on how they run things." Hiruzen explained.  
"Fine. Then allow me to begin my own detective agency."

Hiruzen blinked twice and turned to look at the time in his alarm clock. He rubbed his tired eyes.

"I can't." He said in a tired tone. "That's the Uchiha's job, and it would be a waste of tax payer money to invest in another Police Headquarters."

Frustrated and aggravated Ryou returned to her home. She could still feel her determination burning in the back of her head.  
For a moment she almost forgot completely about Shisui. She face palmed. What was she going to tell him?

Ugh...

Now, all she needed to do was sit on the iron police throne…


	21. Chapter 21

21

The autumn leaves were beginning to decorate the fall foliage. Tints of orange, gold and red colored Konoha in what is arguably the most beautiful time of the year.

The Uchiha-Noa wedding was approaching and the date was only a month away. One of the to be married individuals was getting cold feet, as the weather became chillier.

Fugaku's words haunted her 'You will never fit in…'  
She swore she could see him and see his tormenting expression every night right before going to bed.  
It also didn't help that Shisui had not been very supportive when she expressed her desired to join the Uchiha police force.  
'You have no business meddling there.' He had said upset.

It had taken her a while, but she began to notice the wary details of her relationship with his family. She didn't look like an Uchiha. Shisui's parents really appeared to have no interest in getting to know her or even having her over for dinner. Some clan members would glare at her whenever she walked hand in hand with her fiancé. They would whisper painful lies and shoot nasty death glares in her direction. Unknowing to them she could hear everything that they said, it wasn't a good feeling. And here she thought she was becoming a well respected member of their community.  
The only ones that seemed to be kind towards her were Sasuke and Itachi and she was partly sure that the only reason they did was because Shisui was like their older brother.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she walked past the compound and to the park where Shisui had asked her to meet him. He specified to meet him by the single tree closest to the lake. She really wasn't in the mood for a picnic or whatever it was that he had planned.

She was so sucked up in her own thoughts that she barely heard the male voice that called after her. "Oi! Ryou!" caught off guard, she suddenly turned to be embraced in a massive bear hug by Gai.

"Ryou! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" He cried hugging her so tightly she felt as if she couldn't breath. "Watch the arm." She said gasping for air.

"Oh, right- right!" He jumped off her.  
"Just got my cast taken off a few weeks ago." She admitted sheepishly.  
"Yeah, just in time for the wedding right?" He said wriggling his thick eyebrows eagerly.

Ryou rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Yes. It's been a pain having to reserve everything, and getting the Kimono- Shisui's Haori. The catering." She said rubbing her stressed out temples.

Gai only flashed her one of his famous wide grins "Well I'll totally be there!" He said giving her a thumbs up.

Ryou hadn't even noticed that Kakashi had been with Gai.

"You'll come too, right Kakashi?" He said elbowing his friend completely oblivious of the tension that was growing between his two friends.

Both of them had been invited to the wedding and Ryou had made sure that they had received their own personal invitations. When Kakashi received his the first thing he did was burn it into ashes.  
It was weird to invite him, but it was even weirder not to invite him. She figured he wouldn't attend. It was just a polite attention.

He suddenly found it hard to breath. He had continued collecting the photographs that appeared on the newspaper. The latest one had been a picture from her engagement party. He hadn't bothered removing Shisui from it. He wanted to be reminded that she was his and he was hers.  
It was too late for him. There was nothing he could do. Then again, it had been wholly her choice.

Ryou could see the pain in his dark eye. It made matters even worse. However, she had given him plenty of time. He couldn't live in a permanent sulking state. It really seemed like Gai's company had gotten him out of his shell in recent years.

"I think I'm going to be sick that day." He muttered.  
"Wait- how do you know?" asked Gai cluelessly.

She avoided his gaze and shook her head not even bothering having a response for his lame comment.

'I'm doing the right choice,' she reminded herself. 'Shisui is right. He respects me. He loves me. He would never hurt me.' She repeated over and over in her head. It was almost like a mantra.

They both left.

Gai turned back and shouted a goodbye to Ryou.  
With a lopsided frown she shook her head and continued to look for Shisui. She found him where he said he would be. A weak smile began growing on her face.  
"Hey!" She reached for his arm. He turned to look a her with a grave expression on his face. She had never seen that look on his face. Immediately the red flags went off in her head. Something was definitely wrong. The smile instantly wiped off her face.

"Shisui" She greeted her soon to be husband seriously with a kiss to the cheek.  
"Hello Ryou." He uttered his lips pulled to a humorless, thin line.

His behavior was scaring her. Had somebody died?

"Is everything alright?" She asked with concerned eyes stroking his arm. He looked down at her hand upset and shrugged her touch off.

"I know you don't like wasting your time. So I'll be brief." He said coldly, a light breeze had began to pick up.  
"Ryou, I think we need to postpone the wedding." He said flatly both of his eyebrows furrowed together.

She blinked twice, slightly caught off-guard. Disbelief was written all over her face. For a moment she remained silent. The only noise between them was the one of the wind picking up and howling.

"We can do that." She said after a moment of composing herself. "I'll just have to call the caterer, the florist, resend invitations-" she began rambling franticall For some reason she felt as if the worst was yet to come.  
"No-" This time he interrupted her.  
"I mean permanently." He said not daring to meet her shocked expression.

Her mouth dropped ajar. Eyes peeling wide from the tremendous shock.

"Do you… Do you not want to marry me?" She dared ask in disbelief. She felt as if her chest was being compressed.

It took him a moment to answer. He took in a deep breath and exhaled finally looking at her.

"No." He said in that same apathetic tone. "I don't."

Her expression was fixed in alarmed consternation. Her tongue felt loose. She wasn't able to coherently form a statement of protest. She felt almost as if she could see that teenage boy that had approached her that one day and had stuck around almost a decade later.

"Shisui…" she mustered the courage to speak. "We've been together for what seems like forever…" She spoke slowly and carefully. They had belonged to each other for what seemed to be a large chunk of their young lives.  
"Seven years actually." He stated looking back into her emerald eyes with his dark ones.  
"What is it then? What's the matter?" She said approaching him, attempting to reach for his hands. Once again he flinched and pulled his hand away rejecting her touch.

'"It's not you, it's me."

Oh no.

From everything he had said, this had been by far the worst thing he could've said to her.  
Yes. He had actually gone there. She suppressed the anger that was beginning to become ignited in her.

"Is it because of the damned job?" She tried. Both of her eyebrows scrunched as her anger began to slip. "Because I will quit- I will quit my dream for you!"

"It's not the job-" Shisui simply shook his head.

"Then what is it?!" She exclaimed growing exasperated. "Is it my so called obsessed with my family? Is it because of the Kakashi?"

Shisui paused for a moment. Sure he had had it with her terrible obsession with murder and the fascination with her own family's mystery.

This was something he was not aware of. "What… does he have to do witusis?" His eyes bored into her twisted expression.  
"We-.. I-uh…" She took in a deep breath. She had been choking on this secret for so long. The guilt had consumed her for months after their brief encounter. It was time he knew.  
"We kissed once. It was years ago. It didn't mean anything-"  
"Enough." He almost growled out through gritted teeth. His eyes became wide and turned into menacing slits. "Enough." He repeated before shutting his eyes for a moment.

"Why Shisui? I thought you were happy" she said reaching for his hands once again.  
"I'm not." He stepped away from her and crossed his arms over his chest. "And much less after I know you've been going behind my back! You've been betraying my wishes, insulting me, my uncle and my clan!"

She stood paralyzed.

"You think I wouldn't find out about the way you spoke to Uncle Fugaku? Do you remember? We discussed our future. We agreed that I would work in the police department and that you would stay home."

"No." She growled out She could almost feel her heartbeat drumming in her ears. Her nails were beginning to dig into her clenched palms. She felt as if something tore inside of her. "You decided I would stay home. The only reason I agreed with you was because it made you happy. And still- I would do it. I would give up my dream for yours." She was beginning to feel it, that awful tickling in your nose right before you're about to cry.

"I don't want that anymore. I don't want you anymore." He shook his head.  
"And him." Shisui glared. "It's always been him, hasn't it?" He sucked in his lips nodding his head.

"No," she shook her head. "It wasn't like that Shisui. It really-"  
"That's why you can't look at him in the eye- that's why you avoid him and take every twist and turn in order to avoid him. You still have feelings for him-" She interrupted him.

"O.K.," she barked. "That is not fair!" she raised up her index finger. You cannot tell me what I feel and don't feel- you can't read my mind-" She threw her hands over her head.  
"It doesn't matter." He suddenly said sounding deflated. "Ryou. It's over. "He said painfully.  
It had to be a lie. He had to lying. There was no way this was happening. This was a dream. An illusion. A Genjutsu, one that she couldn't break free from.  
She began focusing chakra in the bottom of her heels just like Itachi had taught her.

"Really?" she retorted her eyes welling up with tears.

He didn't dare look her way.

"Really?" She repeated aghast, the anger spitting out with every word she said.

"I know you better than that." Ryou growled and pushed Shisui away "You're lying to me." She accused.

He still didn't look at her, "Liar!" Another push.

"Look at me in the eyes!" She was going to push him once again but his time he held her by the wrist. And finally looked at her in the eyes this time with his menacing Sharingan activated.

"Enough." He barked in a tone he had never spoken to Ryou with.  
"Why?" She whined demanding an answer the tears were beginning to well in her eyes.  
"Ryou it's over, go home." He finally dropped her arms, leaving the girl with pools of tears in her lime-green eyes.  
"Why?" She pressed determined, in an even more demanding tone.

Shisui ignored her questions. "Why?!" She got right on his face demanding to know. "Shisui this isn't-" She staggered back perplexed at his action. He tenaciously grabbed her head in place and smashed his lips against hers one last time.

"Ugh!" She shoved him away bewildered. "What are you doing?!" She exclaimed confused. It was then that the tears began spilling down her face. He took in a deep breath and composed himself. He stared at her intensely.

"I've wasted too much time already," he said ominously. With that he turned around and walked away from her. Ryou noticed that Itachi was waiting for Shisui at the end of the park.

"Shisui!" Ryou roared in rage, he still didn't stop in his way, "Here! I don't want your ring then!"

She shouted in defeat tears unwillingly finally cascading down her face.

"Keep it." He said almost automatically. "I have no use for such trivial things," he wasn't even done speaking when he felt it hit him in the back of his head.

He bent down to pick up his ring. He cocked his head slightly and saw the distressed look on his girl's face. It broke him. It really did.

He briefly stood dead in his tracks, she couldn't read his expression but his eyes were wide and his blank composure had broken into a twisted frown. He bit his lip in order to prevent the tears from spilling from his eyes. At the end of the small park street Itachi pretended not to notice the awful scene. Shisui was thankful for his discretion.

"Let's go finish this. We don't have a lot of time…" he said. Itachi followed, just before sparing the sobbing girl one last glare.

Heartbroken Ryou collapsed to her knees under the tree breathlessly. She took in a deep breath to calm herself. The tears had halted. Her head was spinning. This wasn't happening this wasn't happening. Shisui was being irrational. He really was. She would just have to win him over. She headed to the teashop where she picked up some dango and tea.

"This is our place!" She remembered him saying in better days. She shook her head and sipped some tea to calm her jumping nerves.  
'Everything will be O.K.' she sighed. Repeating the mantra in her head.  
The two of them had been together for so long that it was an odd sensation feeling that he wouldn't be there tomorrow.

She didn't waste anymore time and directly headed to the Uchiha compound to look for Shisui. She waited and waited and waited outside of the compound until nightfall came, and he still had not entered the premises. The tea had gone cold the dango had stuck together. With no other choice she left the bench she had been sitting on and in the darkness advanced towards his home. His parents simply stated that Shisui had bid them goodbye. He claimed he had an important mission to fulfill. 'But he wasn't on a mission…' she thought adding up the clues. This was so odd, so misconstrued. His behaviour made no sense. Was that what he had meant when he had said he had "important things to do"?  
"Go home," Shisui's mother glared at her from the bottom of the stair unwelcomely. She sat up in the sofa and struggled to keep her eyes open.

She reluctantly returned home.

* * *

Walking into her empty home she made way to her room. As soon as she opened the door she was hit by a familiar scent. Her eyes went wide in alert. Her knees began trembling and her mouth went dry. She half expected to find a corpse in her room.  
Instead, on her writing desk her eye caught a red item glimmering with the moonlight's reflection. She rushed towards it and picked up her former engagement ring. The red stone shone bright. Once again she began to feel the tears well in her eye.

What did this mean?

She paced around her room anxiously surveying every single possible scenario or logical explanation as to why this had happened. Why had he broken up with her like that? Why had he decided to return his ring to her?  
She could feel a coming headache pounding in her temples.

Something wasn't right. She had to find him. 

* * *

She ran as fast as she could. Her fist pounded on the door of the household.  
There was no response. Her knocking only became louder and more agitated.

"Hello? Please open up!" She cried out.

It was then that she heard a nasty snarling. She gasped turning on her heel only two face two wolves that were almost the size of a bull. She pressed her back against the door only to fall through when it opened.

"Do you know what time it is? My children are asleep!" An angry woman spat at her. The red fangs that marked her cheeks made her association with the Inuzuka clan obvious.  
"Tsume Inuzuka?" Ryou tried with a shaky voice. "It's an emergency. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't-" She began.  
"Who sent you?" The terrifying woman immediately questioned her. She had spiky hair that was gravely unkept and dark animal like eyes. "No one. You see there-"

She slammed the door on her face without much care.  
"Please!" Ryou begged as she once again pounded the door. The dogs behind her began barking at her. She eyed them warily. Their gleaming, sharp teeth appeared to be out of a nightmare.  
"I need a hound. My sense aren't powerful enough. I need to find someone!" Tsume opened the door once again. Our protagonist stood her ground. "Please. I fear something grave has happened."

* * *

Getting into the Uchiha compound had been a mess. Just for everybody's luck Fugaku Uchiha was on call with some of his subordinates.

"Listen to me!" She cried out. "Something terribly has happened to Shisui. I know it."She could feel it. She felt that aching in her chest whenever she said his name. She kept the ring wrapped tightly inside of her hand not daring to let go.

With some persuasion from Tsume and her wolf like hound Fugaku eventually accepted. "You best be right Ryou Noa, if not there's going to be trouble for you." The Inuzuka growled out at her. It was three in the morning for Kami's sake.  
"You know…" She approached her holding one of Shisui's shirts in her hands. "I hope I'm wrong," she said handing it to her.

Immediately the one eyed hound took off. Its black fur shined under the nightlight. It's one yellow eye followed the scent trail. Ryou could smell him everywhere in the compound. It was useless for her to attempt and find the needle in the haystack.  
"We're on the trail!" Tsume announced as she took off after her loyal hound. Ryou followed with Fugaku and three of his police officers. Kuromaru, Tsume's partner hound, ran through the compound and advanced into the forest. They all followed.  
"He's going towards-" One of the officers exclaimed. Somehow, they reached the ends of the forest. They all stood before a massive cliff.

"Does the trail end here?" Fugaku asked as the group came to a sudden halt. Tsume looked uneasy. Her hound whined as he paced near the edge of the cliff.  
She didn't answer. Her eyes simply peered over the edge and became wide and the horrific sight that lay below.

Fugaku rushed to the edge. Then- She felt her heart drop. Her stomach collapse a death gasp sob escaped her lips. The cruel reality hit her like a ton of bricks. It was then that she knew.


	22. Chapter 22

**22**

Oh, did she find him.

She regretted this. She regretted everything that had happened. And a question racked and nestled in the back of her head.

Why had this happened? Why?

Shisui had left with so many questions. She pictured his happy grin, his cocky attitude. It wasn't like him. There were no warning signs. No pattern. Nothing. It was almost as if he had spontaneously combusted into nothingness.

Dawn was breaking above Ryou and the Uchiha compound. She found it hard to breath when the most horrifying scream reach the ears. The blood curling scream of a mother loosing her child. She could hear the wailing screams of Shisui's mother at the given news of her son's passing.

She sat still. Absolutely mortified. The police had given her a warm blanket which she wore over her shoulder. Her cold eyes were wide in disbelief. Part of her refused to believe her new reality.

"You have m one more try to tell us how you knew this had happened," Fugaku Uchiha angrily threatened. "If you lie, there will be grave consequences."

"For the last time," she spoke dully not removing her blank stare from Shisui's mourning home. "He terminated our relationship and that's the last time I saw him. I wanted to talk to him to so I came looking for him. I couldn't find him so I decided I would, and that's the story."

He looked at her with suspiciously narrowed eyes.

"Sir," one of the police officers fearfully approached him. "There is evidence that the last person that was with him was your son Itachi."

"Itachi?" Fugaku said and looked at the fellow officer. There was something in his eyes that made Ryou realized there was some common understanding between them. Something in Fugaku's expression lead her to believe that the investigation would not continued…

She had been numbed by her emotions. She walked around the village aimlessly. Dark bags had formed under her tired eyes. Shisui has become just another ominous death in her murder pinboard.

Her mother, her sister's, Obito's and now Shisui's… Did everything she touch die?

She approached the Hokage building and without a warning approached his door and tossed it open. He was in the middle of an important meeting with some Chunin. He barked furious at her rude, unannounced entrance. The Hokage had never seen such a determined look on her face. Her composure was incredible considering what she had just witnessed.

She wanted to pick up on Shisui's investigation as well. To her dismay the Hokage had denied it to her and claimed that her accusations were bold and biased. His condolences weren't part of the conversation…

* * *

Every so often runaway tears would spill down face. It go to the point that she wouldn't even realize. Shisui's funeral was held some days later. She didn't attend the funeral. She couldn't bear facing him and his lies. His death had been ruled as a suicide despite the obvious evidence that Itachi Uchiha had also been present in Shisui's last moments.

Ryou knew that Fugaku wouldn't compromise his son and proceed with the investigation.

"Watch it," she grumbled to an individual she bumped shoulders with. She blinked twice surprise to realize that it was Kurenai and she looked just as miserable as her.

"Kurenai," she breathed surprised.

The other woman wore a clear face and just like Ryou they both shared the same dark eyebags.

"Ryou," the other said just as surprised.

Surprisingly, they decided to catch up and headed to the local teahouse.

"I'm so sorry about Shisui," Kurenai said as she sipped her tea. Her hand reached and held her friends for a moment.

"He loved this place. It was our place, we came here often.." Ryou trailed off when she felt the tears swelling up again. She sipped on her tea hoping to swallowed the sobb she was about to choke on.

"I'm sorry about Asuma. Do you know when he'll be back?"

Kurenai explained that Asuma had left the village after having a disagreement with his father. Apparently he had become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja and had accumulated an outstanding bounty of 35 million in the black market. He sure had a massive target on his back.

That afternoon the two women simply caught up. Through the years of up and downs, it was nice to be able to go back to square one and just converse. They were both conscious enough to avoid certain topics: Rin being one.

"How's Gai?" Ryou asked as she stroked the side of her porcelain tea cup.

"He's great," Kurenai said with a smile. "'Konoha's Handsome Green Devil'" She laughed at his self given nickname. "Never faltering, always pushing forward. He's going to be strong one day. Stronger than all of us probably."

Ryou agreed. Well she wasn't wrong. No one trained harder than he did.

"And…" she began. " _Him?_ " She avoided her red eyes.

Kurenai was silent for a moment.

"He's cold- He's not well in the head Ryou." Was all she said.

This just added to her growing guilt.

"I think he should stop being an ANBU. He can't handle it. I think a more sedentary lifestyle might suit him best." Kurenai added softly.

"Perhaps you're right," Ryou agreed shrugging.

Ryou vented to Kurenai. She told her about Shisui's death and the on going investigation and how he had last been seen suspiciously skulking around with Itachi.

"I see," she said in an observant tone. "So do you think Itachi killed him?"

She was caught off guard by her question. "Shisui was like a brother to Itachi, they were best friends." She breathed, it was impossible. How would that scenario even render?

Kurenai's lips drew into a serious thin line. "It was him then." She concluded.

"That's ridiculous." Ryou rolled her eyes in disbelief.

"There's this legend in the Uchiha clan. It is said that in order for an Uchiha to obtain ultimate power- they need to kill their best friend."

Ryou almost spat out her tea.

"That's how Madara Uchiha obtained his power and others like him. Itachi killed Shisui to obtain this sacred power."

Madara Uchiha... that name sounded oddly familiar. Was he-  
He had been the founder of the Uchiha clan, right?

Ryou couldnt believe it. It couldn't be. She could feel her hands begin to tremble at the thought. Her head felt woozy. "I-I have to go." She quickly stood up feeling nauseated. "Ryou! Wait!" Kurenai called. The thick curled haired woman ran a hand through her head frustrated. She took a sharp turn at the exit. Her mind racing. She thought about Itachi and his relationship with Shisui. He wouldn't. He couldn't. He had allowed her to see them together at the park. Itachi wasn't careless like that. If he had done it, it would've taken planning. It would've been clean and precise just like everything else he did. If she knew something she wasn't supposed to know, she would've been dead already.

She could feel people whispering about her on the streets. By this time everybody knew about Shisui's tragic death. She tried not to mind them, but couldn't choose what was worse: was it the slandering of the villagers? Or the idea that Itachi could have possibly killed his almost brother?

 _"That was his girlfriend."_ Someone in the crowd whispered. Their scowling eyes tracing her every move.

Of course, they didn't know she could hear them clearly.

 _"They say that she broke up with him and killed himself the next day."_ They would utter to each other. _"How can someone be so cruel?"_

 _"She should be ashamed!"_ A large man commented. _"Why isn't she at the funeral?"_

She could feel the tension building in her shoulders. She brought a hand to her forehead in order to hide the streaming tears that had once again began to spill down her face. Her feet quicker as she began making her way home. She could see her manor from a distance. Her safe haven. It was then that she saw an approaching tall figure.

With her patience wearing thin, just the sight of him made her snap. She had greater things to worry about.

"You!" She almost growled out.

She furiously wiped the remaining tears from her face not daring to show him her tears.

"Why is it that every single time a tragedy occurs I bump into you?! Are you stalking me? Do you not have anything else to do?" She snapped angrily. It had been years since they had had an interaction like his one. She approached him. He stood outside of her home wearing his black funeral garments.

"I-ah…" His hands were shoved deep into his pockets. His silver hair stuck up like it usually did. He looked at her swollen, red face. Her eyes had stuck to remain permanently narrowed in suspicion, her large hair was tossed and unkept.

"Save it." She said. "Save it, save it, save it. I don't want to hear it!" She walked around him avoiding him and into her garden. "Ryou," he exhaled frustrated.

"You-" She turned on her heel and marched towards him. Each step an angry stomp. "Shisui is dead!" She shouted.

It took her a moment to sink in. This was the first time she had said it out loud. She could feel her knees becoming weak. Here they were again, the hot tears involuntary spilling down her face.

"Shisui is dead. And you can't wait for after the funeral to come and harrass me? What is your problem?!" She asked rhetorically as she pulled in close to him. She glared at him her chest rising up and down rapidly.

"I just-" He was interiores once again.

She wondered what the hell he wanted to say. What he had come to torment her with this time. It wasn't the right time or moment.

"Stay away from me," she cried her voice cracking. "If you know what's good for you. Stay away." She warned through cries. He was taken back.

"Why?" He managed. He looked at her apprehensively.

"Everyone that gets too close to me dies," she wiped her hot tears. To her surprise he emitted a small laugh. "What a coincidence." She couldn't help but crack a small smile at the irony of the situation. "Yet we're still here kicking," she added with faux enthusiasm. "The trick to it is to meet once or twice every couple of years." he said with a close eyed smile addressing their odd encounters.

There was a moment of quiet between them.

"Aren't you glad he's gone?" She said taking in a deep breath. He sighed and suddenly stood very stiff.

"Shisui was a good man." He said respectfully. "And I'm sorry for your loss."

And with hat he was gone. For some reason something told Ryou she would be seeing him again. Perhaps even sooner.

* * *

It had now been a couple of weeks since Shisui had taken his own life. She had stopped crying at this time. Life went on. She couldn't do much simply by sulking. Presently she sat in the dimly lit underground that had been created by her ancestors. Hiroko Noa's perpetually fixed eyes made her feel uneasy. She had decided to transform this hidden lair into a private study. Images, books, newspaper articles amongst other tools decorated the walls and new desks of the lair. 

She shuffled over the papers and fingered the many documents that had been recorded in regards of Shisui's autopsy. Having been able to pull this from the Uchiha she had also requested second autopsy done in her mother's corpse.  
Shisui's files were gruesome. However, she had become numbed by them. His eyeless face didn't even make her bat an eyelash anymore.

She took the cigarette she had been smoking away from her lips and exhaled a cloud of smoke. The smoke in her lungs burned nicely and eased her jumping nerves.

'Shisui Uchiha's body was found at the premises of the Konoha river. There was some bruising on his body which is assumed to be inflicted on him by training or by an opponent. Uchiha was missing both of his eyes and the cause of death has been ruled as cranial impact to the Cerebellum and Occipital Lobe…'

Ryou continued skimming the reports.

'…Shisui left a suicide note which is assumed to have been written by himself the day before the suicide…'

The note was attached on another paper file.

'I'm too tired of the duties…

there is no future for Uchiha…

and for me…

I cannot walk out the "path" any further'

"Bullshit…" a growl escape the woman's raspy throat. Just what was Shisui thinking? The note was too dull- too nonspecific…

'The note has been considered and the idea of being fraudulent and there are doubts of suicide..'

"I guess they're not completely clueless after all…" She took another drag.

'… The main suspect or culprit in this investigation is esteemed clan member Itachi Uchiha.'

'Wait. What?'

'…It is speculated that Itachi Uchiha murdered his own witnesses claim 'best friend' in order to obtain the power of the cursed eyes-'

This was what Kurenai had been explaining to her the other day. She scratched her head. This made no sense.

Turning the note around there appeared to be some strange scribbling?

'#7 5 - 1  
#2 10 - 2 - 7  
#9 3 - 1  
#1 5 - 3  
#13 7 - 4 - 5 - 3' 

What did this mean? Where these dates? Some sort score keeping? She analyzed the note for a moment. Was this some sort of code? A hidden message! Focusing her acute sentences on the note she did not notice anything odd about the writing. However there appeared to be some staining in the edges of the paper. Bringing it to her nose the scent was familiar. Tea? She pondered. It couldn't be a coincidence. If Shisui had indeed left a coded message everything was carefully calculated. She rapidly copied the numbers on a separate note and rushed out of the lair.

Upon rushing out she realize that her home had been overrun by other Shinobi. She could see them walking around the home and sitting in the kitchen with her father. "What's going on?" She stormed into her home breathlessly.  
Her father was resting his head on his arm bored as he nested a cup of tea. There were two ANBU doing the same.

"There you are," her father said tiredly. It wasn't even that late.

"Noa-san," one began ominously jumping to his feet to greet her. "We have a situation." she said in a dusk tone.

Something about the way she spoke… It couldn't be good news.

The group rushed through the streets of the Leaf Village and Ryou came to a halt when they reached the outside of the Uchiha compound where many other ANBU guarded the perimeter. The dark night sky and harvest moon only gave the night an even more eerie feeling. The moon had never been as large as it was tonight its glow reflected many lifeless bodies spread out in the floor. Their spilt blood gleamed a shade of silver in the night.

Our protagonist eyes went wide. She held her breath her head felt light for a moment before the adrenaline began pumping.

"Search the premises for survivors." She ordered with a stoic face. On order the ANBU spread out in the territory seeking for any chance of live. Ryou began walking through the compound. Her ninja sandals were soaked in blood and left a trail of crimson footprints after her steps. 

She carefully eyed the corpses in the premises. There were no signs of struggle. All of the dead appeared to be dazed almost as if they had been hypnotized.

'Genjutsu…' she deduced. It was clear they had all been a victim to a very powerful illusion. Focusing her senses she attempted to note if anything stood out. There was a powerful stench in the air. The air reeked with something she couldn't place her finger on. It almost smelled like rott. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Noa-san! We found a survivor!" one of the squad members reported.

In a hustle Ryou and the member rushed to were the survivor was. "Get a medical in here! What's the status on the survivor?" 

They ran inside of a house that Ryou was familiar with, Itachi's house. Her heart began hammering fastering. She flickered inside and her eyes scanned the room for the survivor. Then she saw them, the collapsed bodies of Fugaku Uchiha and his wife Mikoto. Both lifeless, both laying in a pool of their own blood. Before them was a child laying facedown on the floor an ANBU knelt next to his body.

"His breathing is stable. Appears to be in shock." the ANBU explained. 

The orphan boy lay on the floor with his eyes shot open wide, tears poured out. A river of saliva drooled out of his unconscious mouth. He remained unresponsive. She knelt in the opposite side of his small body. She placed a hand on his forehead brushing the dark hair out of his face. The other on his chest. The blank look remained on the child's face. 

It appeared that the child had been the only one spared. The question now was, where was Itachi?


End file.
